The Black Moon Rising
by adiliqueen
Summary: What could happen if Urahara never invented the glowing sword,the Gotei 13 never came to help Ichigo and Ishida never came there? Who would be protecting Ichigo,and what would be the consequences? Well, lots and lots of mess. Soon to be continued!
1. That Who Change the World

**I waited to write this fanfiction for quite a long time now, it went under a few changes but I think this version is better from all the rest.**

**Warnings & Info:**

**In this chapter, there are spoilers up to chapter 462, with a different ending of chapter 459 as Urahara, Isshin and the Shinigami from the Gotei 13 weren't there and Ishida never came to the roof of the mansion because he wasn't healed by Orihime, who was with Tsukishima at those moments. **

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

**Don't expect any yaoi here. This isn't a yaoi story and nothing happens between the two main characters of this fanfiction. Their relationship has got nothing to do with love; it's just friendship, or whatever you'd like to call to their bond.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, Zangetsu, Hollow Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu would've been shown much more than they are now. They are wayyy too epic to be shown once in 100 chapters… WHY, KUBO? WHYYY? *cries dramatically***

**The quotes over here are from MangaStream, so I take no credit for those translations and also I obviously don't own MangaStream.  
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><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 1: That Who Change the World**

Ichigo stared at Ginjo's fullbring in disbelief, as Ginjo's sword gotten white, vein-like things in the area of the tip of it, where it cleaved Ichigo's fullbring suit.

At first, he didn't know at first what was happening, but he felt weaker and weaker any second passing. Ichigo gaped in shock as he realized… that sword was absorbing his fullbring. His powers. The only thing he can use in order to protect those he loves.

He couldn't believe it was happening.

Not now, as he finally could protect his friends like he used to! How is this possible? How could Ginjo do that to him? Now as he finally trusted him, after all what they've been through together?

_What should I do…What should I do...? _

Suddenly, Ichigo was left in nothing but his black shirt and his jeans - His fullbring left him. It was all gone now.

"Oh, ho! Here it comes!" Ginjo said with a smirk on his face.

Ichigo dropped his substitute Shinigami badge, as the last dark bits of his reiatsu dissolved into the air of the cold night.

He couldn't do anything but to gape at the floor helplessly with his eyes wide opened, as he felt weaker and more useless than he had ever felt before.

_My Fullbring….!_

_I wanted to regain my strength. _

_But I couldn't find a single path to power._

_I could only solider on …for 17 months..._

_Weak._

_At long last, I thought I found a way._

_I could finally….Protect my friends with my own strength._

_Only..._

_Only..._

"N…..Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" he screamed, shaking the whole mansion with his desperate scream.

"Is he crying? I feel so terrible." Tsukishima said with a small smile on his lips, as he was mocking Ichigo for his own weakness.

"Let him cry…We have no use for him anymore." Ginjo said, turning his back to the hopeless Ichigo, who was still gaping at the floor. "It's unlikely….We will ever meet him again."

"….Give it back..!" he cried, completely desperate, as he couldn't bring himself to believe Ginjo was working with Tsukishima all along. "Give it back, Ginjo…Give my power back!"

"What…? You're joking." Ginjo said with a grin, "It's a power that I gave back to you. It belongs to me!"

Ichigo kept staring at the floor, shocked from the harsh answer which was so unlike the old Ginjo he once knew, or at least thought he knew.

"I'm sparing your life even though you're useless now. The least you could do is to thank me."

Ichigo suddenly tried to stand up, but it looked like he was in pain. After a minute or so he succeeded.

"I….I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!" he cried furiously and started to dash to Ginjo's direction, holding his fists so tight blood soon started to form into drops and fall to the colorless floor they was standing on, which glowed white as the full moon shined from above. He punched Ginjo in his jaw with his right fist, making the jaw make noises that weren't very natural. Ginjo cursed loudly that he underestimated the kid and didn't tried to dodge, but he didn't really care. Ichigo was at his current limit of his human body and they both knew it well.

Ichigo tried to back a few steps as Ginjo fixed his jaw. Then, Ichigo tried to attack Ginjo again, aiming to the head so he'll be able to knock him unconscious and so he would only need to take care of Tsukishima, who was looking from the side interested but didn't tried to interfere with their battle. On the next attack, Ginjo didn't even try to dodge and easily hit Ichigo's head with his sword's blunt side. After that, he held him by his shirt and threw him to the other side of the roof, showing no mercy for the teenager who lost everything he ever had.

_My friends._

_My power._

_Everything… They took everything away from me!_

_Nothing left for me to rely on. I couldn't even stand as I tried to face Ginjo right now._

_I barely could walk properly. I couldn't even kill Tsukishima for getting my sisters and friends into our fight and use them as cannon fodders. Nothing more than human shields for that coward. _

_I couldn't protect._

_Weak. _

"What a loser. Doesn't even worth getting stabbed by my fullbring." Ginjo resisted the urge to chuckle and grinned instead.

"Ginjo…! I…!" Ichigo barely could speak. He tried to stand up but this time he just couldn't. Instead he suddenly stopped moving, sinking into nothing but darkness.

Before he finally lost his consciousness, only one sentence floated in his mind.

_It's raining, just like then._

"Hmm..? What happened to him?" Tsukishima said, quite amused by the interesting scene that was amputated.

"He's unconscious, and not because of me. Too much reiatsu was taken from him so quickly… I was wondering for a few minutes now how could he keep himself conscious. That Kurosaki has a strong will, that's for sure." Ginjo said bored, not bothering to even check Ichigo's situation deeply, if he was in any life-threatening situation. "Then, shall we go now? It starts raining, and don't forget a world is waiting for us to change it."

"No…Let's kill him, then. If he lost consciousness he'll come back for our lives with that Quincy, Ishida Uryu and probably allies from Soul Society once he got his Shinigami powers are back. We don't need that kind of troubles. Killing him will assure us no troubles will hurt our plan." Said Tsukishima as he activated his Book of the End. "And since when are you afraid of the rain, Ginjo?" He mocked him.

"I don't afraid of it, I just hate being wet." Ginjo didn't like being mocked. "Just kill him and let's get over with it."

"I'll finish him by the sword he was so afraid of getting stabbed by. What an ironic way to die." Tsukishima said with a grin on his face and stabbed Ichigo.

Before he knew it, he couldn't stab him. Something blocked his sword and caused him to take an unplanned flight a few meters in the air. After a while of being in mid-air even though he never intended to he crashed on the ground.

After a few seconds of struggling to get up and using his sword as a lifter, he finally stood on his slightly unstable legs and wiped fresh blood from his mouth with a quick movement, narrowing his eyes. _What the hell just happened…? That annoying Kurosaki supposed to be almost dead right now, as I was about to put an end to his life at long last, like I've been waiting for so long now…_

"I won't let you do such a thing as killing him." A cold, calm voice spoke.

_That's….Not Kurosaki's voice_.

Tsukishima and Ginjo turned both their heads simultaneously as fast as they could towards the voice's source, but all they could see was a flash.

_Who is he…so fast…? Tsukishima and I will have to be careful. _Ginjo thought as he tried to get a good look at the fast enemy in front of him, but with no avail. Whoever that person was, Ginjo couldn't see more than a blur of his figure.

Suddenly, he heard a slash and the sound of blood spilling he loved and knew so well. After all, only today he heard that sweet, sweet sound every time that damned Kurosaki was cut. Ginjo turned his head in a mix of horror and curiosity only to see Tsukishima crushes into the ground again, blood get spilled from his fresh wounds in the area of his and more blood gets spilled from his mouth_. _He didn't seem like he was going to stand up_._

_What the hell is going on in here? _

"Who are you?" Ginjo said as he turned to Tsukishima's direction to try to see the man who did it. Ginjo pulled a half-smile on his face, trying to calm down, knowing he can probably beat him easily. "Don't mess with business that doesn't belong to you if you don't know the consequences."

The man's quick moves had stopped.

He was standing in front of Ichigo with the back to him, as he was protecting him with his own body. Ginjo shuddered in disgust by that thought. He tried to get a better look at the teenager, but he couldn't to a thing but to stare at those cold eyes which were looking at him in pure hatred.

A lightning flashed at the almost-black sky above. The moon was nowhere to be seen.

Ginjo raised his Cross of Scaffold that clashed with the teenager's sword. The boy didn't seem much focused, as he kept looking to Ichigo's direction like he was checking something.

He seemed to completely calm down after looking at Ichigo for a minute, and he turned his face to the person that he was fighting against.

Ginjo couldn't stand the way the man treated him, as he was nothing, a trash that should be thrown to the bin. Ginjo once again swung his sword, this time in much faster, harsher moves which were controlled by pure instinct of battle. He started grinning, but the grin slowly vanished as they kept sparring.

He kept trying to get through his enemy's defenses but those were perfect, without a single flaw. No openings. Nothing he tried worked. He kept clashing swords with him, but he was the only one to get hurt.

Out of nowhere, Ginjo had an idea. He decided to try to do something unexpected.

He would just beat him with reiatsu! Even though his own reiatsu was only half-way healed, he had Ichigo's Fullbring acting as a boost for his own reiatsu to rise higher than it could be without it, making Ginjo with a larger amount of reiatsu.

_If that bastard is SOOOO good fighting with his damn sword, I'll just beat the hell out of him fighting with reiatsu! That would end the battle with my victory!_

He gripped the handle of his sword, which was in the middle of his blade. He started smiling.

Suddenly, a large aura of reiatsu that was mainly colored light-blue because of Ichigo's reiatsu engulfed his Fullbring. Ginjo was now grinning maniacally at the young man.

He still wasn't afraid; doesn't even bothering to comment upon the attack that could end someone's life easily.

"YOU DAMNED BASTARD! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET FOR UNDERESTIMATING ME!" Ginjo screamed and released the energy right in the direction of the young man.

The energy that was released was huge, destroying quickly anything that got in its way without any efforts. It quickly approached the boy, about to kill him in an instant and finish the harsh fight in a one-hit-kill.

The boy moved his sword to his left hand. Then, with his right hand, he stopped the reiatsu blow. Ginjo couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Then, he redirected it for it to blow somewhere in mid-air, where no one would get hurt.

"WHAT?" Ginjo cried furiously. "HOW SUCH A THING COULD HAPPEN? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

The boy said nothing. His hand didn't even seem to be wounded.

Ginjo started cursing loudly and dashed to the boy's direction once more.

_How… How is that possible? _

_Well, let's think rationally._

_He seems to be pretty strong as he could beat up Tsukishima easily, so I suppose a simple human isn't the best way to describe him, no matter how much I can't seem to find his reiatsu._

_How will I be able to find his blind spots, if that's so…?_

_Wait, what's his name? _

_From all the stories Tsukishima told me that he heard from those friends of Kurosaki… I'd be able to know if either he's a Shinigami, human or a Visored, and if I should count him as a threat! _

"W-Who are you?" Ginjo asked again, with some confidence. "Answer me!"

"Why does it matter? Would it give you any advantage against me?" He asked quietly.

Ginjo was surprised from the answer the young man gave him.

He looked carefully at him.

The man didn't seem bothered at all to take his life as well, like he seemed to take Tsukishima's.

_Well, trying to be nice would never hurt. He may end up in our side if I'll pull the strings right._

"But that's traditional." Ginjo forced a lovely, fake grin upon his face. "C'mon, tell me your name! I'll tell you mine if you'll be a good boy!"

"No."

Ginjo leaped to the air using the Bringer Light, merely escaping from the tip of the daito [1] that was pointed at his neck.

_Damn it… Kurosaki's Fullbring didn't finish absorbing itself in my body. I can't use it against that bastard now!_

"What's your purpose? If you just came here for the joy of spilling blood then you just could've picked those one from the floor below us, they are much less powerful and easy targets."

"I'd never do that." Ginjo blinked in surprise at the answer. "I have no reason to kill them. I came for this guy, over there," he pointed with his hand to Tsukishima, who was still laying on the floor bleeding, "and for you. I have no other goals besides protecting Ichigo and you two harmed and wounded him badly all that time."

"Huh… so Soul Society finally took action after they noticed what Kurosaki went through?" Ginjo grinned.

He didn't answer.

Ginjo seemed not to be satisfied with that, but he said nothing. He was too furious to do anything about the boy's blurry answers and decided to focus on his fight instead. He started calculating his chances against him and the boy's power, something he never done against nobody before.

The teenager kept pushing him back easily, even though Ginjo had an advantage with his large sword which could also be used for a close range with its handle. Ginjo was all focused on the battle he was in and tried everything he can do.

He couldn't keep calculating the boy's power when he felt being stabbed from the back.

_Damn it, how could I get lost in that kind of thoughts? _

_But…I didn't take my eyes off him. All that time, even when I was thinking about my chances, I kept looking at him._

_If he could go under such speeds…He just played along with me the whole fight?_

_What the hell?_

He crushed on the ground next to Tsukishima in a loud sound. The teenager, after looking for a few moments in Ginjo, walked slowly to Ichigo, who was still lying on the floor where he used to be. Ichigo was still unconscious and wasn't even aware to the fierce battle that could take his life away from him easily.

The teenager seemed to be a little bit disturbed, sinking in deep thoughts, as he suddenly shook his head.

He lifted Ichigo and Shunpo-ed away from the mansion quickly, as he stood on the air itself.

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><p>What he didn't pay attention to were Orihime and Chad who were looking at the scene hidden, ever since Tsukishima was defeated by the teenager.<p>

Orihime dropped the hairpins from her mouth in shock as tears were flowing from her terrified eyes. Chad started sweating heavily with his eyes wide opened from surprise.

They both ran there as soon as they felt Ichigo's reiatsu weakening and disappearing, and as they got there all they saw was Tsukishima laying on the floor, seems to be dead and Ginjo sparring with someone on mid-air.

Then, as Ginjo was defeated, the figure quickly seemed to Shunpo to Ichigo's direction, lifted him and carried him away.

Of course, they couldn't see well Ichigo's kidnapper's face because of the speed he used to get away, but it was crystal clear that this person, no matter how could he sound like and how he looked like, is powerful and dangerous as he could knock both those powerful peoples so fast.

"We should be careful from now on, Inoue." Chad said quietly, looking at what the mysterious figure did to Ginjo and Tsukishima. "He took Ichigo away."

She nodded, wiping her tears from her eyes quickly. Her voice shook from pure fear. "I… I don't think that was human, even though I couldn't sense any reiatsu from him. All I could sense were Tsukishima-san's, Ginjo's and Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu. But...Tsukishima-san is everything to me. What can I do without him, as he's….he's…?" She started to sob.

"Don't cry…I don't think he will do any harm to Ichigo. He seemed to really want to protect him, as he was important to him." Chad suddenly remembered what else Orihime said. "Tsukishima..." He stopped for a second to organize his thoughts properly. "I don't think he's who we thought he is. I keep trying to remember how much he did for me and how I can't live without him but all those memories fade away… Tsukishima's face that was with me as a child and was such a big part of my life disappears more and more with every moment passing. Inoue… What if Ichigo was right about Tsukishima's power? Now as he seems close to death all those memories are gone… Replaced by my family's faces, my friends' faces and especially… Ichigo's face."

Orihime's face darkened. _Was Kurosaki-kun right all along? Did he truly do everything Tsukishima-san made us think he did? Did Tsukishima-san just tricked us and we were nothing but his puppets on stings and a human-shield? Nothing more than cannon fodder? And did the figure who took Kurosaki-kun away could be someone we know or we can trust? In what side is he? Or is it a she?_

"Inoue," Orihime turned her head to Chad and tried to leave those disturbing thoughts. He looked like he just remembered something important.

"Ginjo told me once…that Tsukishima's power is of 'literally cut through everything'. I don't think he lied to me back then." He looked at Tsukishima's sword, which was tainted in his own blood from the major strike he got.

"So how would you explain that? All the things…that happened to us? It's pretty obvious that's not it. I think….I think that Ginjo wasn't himself back then, when he told you that," She looked at the strange sword Ginjo was holding, which wasn't the same like what she saw when he trained Ichigo in Yukio's Invaders Must Die. "Did he tell you about that extension of his Fullbring?"

Chad didn't answer. His whole body shook from the chill of the night and fear. Sure, he faced hollows, Arrancars and a drunken captain, but that was just too much for his body to bear.

"Sado…Sado-kun?" Orihime asked worried, but she knew why he was acting like that. When the figure got away with Ichigo suddenly the level of the reiatsu that was emitted at the area was decreased too quickly for their human bodies to bear. She was about to faint, and she knew it.

Suddenly, she felt that she was falling.

"Whew, I'm so glad we made it!" She heard a familiar voice saying before both she and Chad completely lost their consciousness.

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><p>The teenager was about to get to his destination, still carrying Ichigo and being careful nothing happens to him on their way. A small house with a green roof and a big, blue sign which said <strong>Kurosaki Clinic<strong> was in front of him in a few moments. He knew the way there pretty well, even though he never went there by himself.

No one was on the streets. Even not one hollow was roaming outside, looking for its victims. Indeed, a quiet night in Karakura Town, yet the streets were washed in pure white light from the full moon of that night.

He put him in his bed slowly as he got to Ichigo's room and then climbed on the green roof of the clinic. He liked high places, but he also needed to check that Ginjo and Tsukishima aren't coming for Ichigo's head. He couldn't kill them, even though he wanted. He just couldn't.

It didn't take long until he heard a noise. He didn't bother to turn his head because he knew only two peoples would be able to understand right now what happened, and one of them is unconscious in his bed.

"I've figured…That'd happen eventually. Urahara told me it would happen as soon as enough reiatsu will accumulate. When did you wake up?" The man asked him quietly.

"A few moments before Tsukishima Shukuro killed Ichigo. I intervened as fast as I could. He's heavily injured, but he'll survive. I closed the wounds up and I'm feeding him from my own reiatsu so he'll be back to normal as soon as possible."

"Thanks," The man sighed as he saw Ichigo below them as he turned his head a little bit over the end of the roof. "So…why don't you come in?" He said without looking at him.

"If he'll wake up seeing me he'll probably lose his consciousness again. I don't mind staying here."

The man didn't take his eyes away from the teenager for a while. After a half-minute or so he turned and got off the roof.

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><p>Ichigo woke up in his bed.<p>

"Wha...What the hell?" he muttered as he forced himself not to get back to sleep again. All of his wounds seemed to stop bleeding and started healing themselves naturally.

"Ichi-" Ichigo prepared to dodge his dad's attack, but he didn't hear or feel nothing. "Ichi-nii! Get down already! You'll be late! Hurry up!"

_Wow, I'm being paranoid. That's just Kari-_

_Ka…Karin! She's okay! _

_What the hell happened to Tsukishima and Ginjo, if that's so?_

_I probably lost my consciousness… I knew that I lost too much reiatsu too fast but I still couldn't help it and tried to stand up._

_Damn it._

_I hope everyone else is alright. Yuzu was there, too._

"I'm coming, Karin!"

He dressed up quickly and went downstairs. His father was there, sitting at the dining table, drinking coffee with his usual doctor uniform on him.

"G'morning." Isshin says and yawned tiredly.

Ichigo was surprised as he took a seat.

His dad had never behaved like that before, like… a normal dad. What the hell happened to him?

"Y...yeah. Good morning." Ichigo said and took a bite from the toast he had on his plate.

"Hm...That's really weird." Yuzu said from the kitchen as she looked at the TV waiting for some more toasts to be ready. "Who could do such a thing?"

Huh?" Ichigo took a look in the TV, which was now playing the news. "

A big mansion Ichigo knew too well was showed half-destroyed. Ichigo paled and started to breathe heavily, but didn't take his eyes off the TV for even a second. A woman's voice was heard, as she appeared on the screen. It was the TV reporter of the channel.

"… It seems like there were a few explosions here and not only one from the last checking of the police yet the source is unknown at this time. Both the residents who were in the mansion at that time were unconscious yet survived the fire and were rescued on time by the firemen, but they still suffered heavy wounds which are treated right now in the nearest hospital, the main hospital of Naruki City…"

Ichigo paled even more. Obviously, those people could be no one else but Ginjo and Tsukishima. He ignored the TV, which was now reviewing the winning of the Karakura Town's soccer team on the last game.

"What's wrong?" Yuzu asked. "You know those two?"

"I... Ichi-nii?" Karin was confused by the way Ichigo was acting like and the way he paled. "Are you okay?"

_So… they can't remember a single thing?_

_That's probably for the best._

_But…If Ginjo and Tsukishima are alive, then it's not over yet._

_Something will happen, soon…_

Isshin was concentrated at the newspaper, but at the moment Ichigo saw that he was in the gossip section he understood his dad wasn't focused on the newspaper at all.

"Uh…Okay…" Ichigo picked his backpack from hanger as he felt really awkward, and put it over his shoulder."I'm leaving, bye." And left the house, just as Keigo and Mizuiro called him and waved from the window, their bags on one of their shoulders.

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><p>They were at the gate of their high-school as they saw a crowd gathering around something that seemed like a fight. Surprisingly, one of the people who fighted was no one else but Ishida Uryu, as they could see his blurry figure holding something, or probably someone in the air. He seemed very pissed at the person he was holding, and the person didn't do anything to make him put him down.<p>

_Luckily, no teacher seemed to see the incident, _Ichigo pointed out to himself. _That or the fact that the teachers are probably too scared to do anything to stop the fight._

"Oi, Ishida! Just got out of the hospital and you're already in a fight? Who the hell are you fighting agains-" Ichigo began to say as he quickly cleared a path for him to pass through as he wanted to see the battle from a closer look. It seemed like something as 50-100 peoples were watching the fight.

When he got there, he gaped at the person Ishida was fighting against, forcing himself not to knock out of consciousness as he kept looking at the figure.

This one face belonged to one of the people Ichigo would never forget, even fifty years from now… Lifted up right there, with Ishida's hand grabbing the collar of his school uniform, as he seems unbothered about the threat at all.

Ichigo dropped his schoolbag from shock and disbelief.

All the people in the background that called him loudly, asking him what's wrong became nothing but the sound of the wind that seemed to roar in his ears loudly. He had to focus in what was in front of him right now, as he felt like his own eyes were tricking him.

_That's impossible._

_He was supposed to be dead, after the price I payed to defeat once and for all Aizen._

_Oh, that's right. The price._

_After all what happened and the sacrifice I had to take, that effected him as well… So how is that possible?_

_Ginjo told_ _me it would happen eventually, but… After all the lies he told me and the way he betrayed me with Tsukishima, how could I believe such a thing as that big promise, to have what I wished for more than a year now? _

_This can't be happening! He took my last chance to protect my friends and family like I want to just yesterday night!_

Ichigo shook those thoughts away. He would have plenty of time to think about such relatively minor things later. He tried to focus once again in the teenager that was looking at him with an expression that if Ichigo wouldn't know him, he would say it was curiosity for a few minutes now.

But with no avail, Ichigo couldn't think about anything besides the big question that kept disturbing his mind and didn't seemed to give him a rest for one moment the whole time he was thinking.

_What the hell does Tensa Zangetsu do in my school?_

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><p><strong>[1] Daito- Japanese long sword.<strong>

**I enjoyed any minute I wrote this chapter, and I hope you did as well while you read it!**

**This is also my first fanfiction, so… I'd be happy to hear what you think about the chapter. I tried the best not to tell immediately that it was him so I'll be able to end the chapter with a cliffy, but I guess that anyone who read who's the main characters of this fanfiction probably knew it anyway XD**

**Review! **


	2. Completely Encompass

**Wow.**

**I got so many good reviews, story alerts and favorites on That Who Change the World I started to work on this chapter as soon as I could, which was exactly a day after I published the first one.**

**I'm sorry if my grammar isn't so good, I'm only 14 years old and also English isn't my native language… But I'm doing my best to improve! :D**

**Warning & Info:**

**Just like the last chapter, there are spoilers up to chapter 462 with a different ending of chapter 459. **

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**Pay attention please! NEW piece of info! From this moment forward, when Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter. (Well, that, and the fact that Italic font looks awesome with bold XD)**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, but it belongs to Tite Kubo. **

**After re-watching almost all Soul Society arc. , I can surely say that if Bleach belonged to me, I'd TOTALLY bring Hanataro back. He's probably one of the cutest characters in Bleach, and especially with his energy pills made of *cough* flour *cough*. **

**But seriously, can't you see how much was he "full of energy" with those? XD**

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><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 2: Completely Encompass**

After staring at Ishida and Tensa Zangetsu for a while, Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment, took his bag from the floor and walked slowly to the building without saying a word.

He didn't know what to do.

_Is what I'm seeing even real? _He couldn't help but thinking. _That doesn't even make any sense at all…!_

"K-Kurosaki-kun! Please wait!" Orihime, who was also looking at Ishida and pleading him this whole time to stop hurting the poor teenager his name she didn't know, tried to run quickly to Ichigo. Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad ran after her, to see what's wrong with Ichigo. "What happened, Ichigo?" Chad yelled as they ran after him. "What's wrong?"

He ignored his friends, as their callings were once again nothing but the roars of the wind in his ears. He kept thinking about what he just saw.

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><p>Of course, Tensa Zangetsu knew what happened. He heard.<p>

Even with what happened last night still effecting him, it seems like not all of those bonds that related them disappeared as he took the chance and materialized, even though he understood right after he defeated Ginjo what are the consequences. He couldn't get back into Ichigo's inner world. It was like Ichigo's soul was still unprepared to the existence of Zanpakuto Spirit, yet he could still hear his thoughts, like he always could.

Also, he couldn't get any help from the inside… The hollow was still unconscious.

When they trained Ichigo as he was in the Dangai, they once again became one, but it seemed like the influences of Ichigo's reiatsu and his use of the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho [1] made Ichigo's inner world to literally shake and crush and separated them once again to what they used to be, an inner hollow and a Zanpakuto Spirit.

Back then when Tsukishima was attacking Ichigo, Tensa Zangetsu didn't have enough time to think about the hollow and instead went to save his master, leaving the unconscious hollow alone.

As it was this way, it could mean no harm for Ichigo as he couldn't take over his body. Tensa Zangetsu was sure that was the right thing to do.

Ichigo was extremely confused, and doubted his own sanity at those moments he was looking at him.

In a quick move, he released the grip of Ishida from the collar of his shirt. Ishida's eyes widened. _He could resist and make me lose my grip all along but he didn't? What the hell?_

Without hesitating, he walked quickly to Ichigo's direction.

* * *

><p>(A few minutes before Ichigo, Keigo and Mizuiro came to school in that day)<p>

Tensa Zangetsu was still thinking.

Of course, the solution he picked was the most perfect one to keep Ichigo safe and to protect him even though he couldn't get back to his inner world, but the risks… Are they too big to be taken?

Without even noticing, he accidently bumped into someone.

He raised his head [2] to see who the man he accidently bumped into was. Trying to sense reiatsu would be useful much more than looking, but if he would do that it would be suspicious how he recognized the man even though he didn't look at him.

But it didn't matter. He knew that boy.

Ishida Uryu. The Quincy.

"S…Sorry." Tensa Zangetsu said and tried to move away from him and taking a few steps backwards to let Ishida rise from the floor.

Ishida lifted his glasses from the floor and cleaned those with a handkerchief he took from his pocket. It was colored in blue and white and had a cross on it.

"It's fine. I didn't notice where I was going to." Ishida took a look at the teenager he bumped into after he put on his glasses. "I… don't remember seeing you here before. Are you a new student?"

"Yeah. I joined today." Tensa Zangetsu wasn't sure if that was technically a lie or not, given the fact that Ichigo was in that school for more than 3 years, but the answer didn't seemed to satisfy Ishida that looked at him in concentration.

Ishida froze, as he seemed to notice something.

Right as Tensa Zangetsu turned to pick his bag from the floor; Ishida quickly gripped him in the shoulder and slammed him against the wall, lifting him in the air. He didn't try to get away nor tried to struggle.

"Don't hide it." Ishida narrowed his eyes and seemed extremely irritated.

Tensa Zangetsu decided to pretend he doesn't know what Ishida was talking about. "Hide what?"

"Your reiatsu, bastard. What else?"

Tensa Zangetsu was surprised. How the hell could he forgot that Ishida was an expert at reiatsu-sensing? "What's… reiatsu?" He decided to try to fool Ishida by acting like an idiot once more. A crowd started to gather soon after he lifted him, and now it had more than 50 students.

"Don't think that it going to work for you." Ishida didn't seem to be convinced at all.

He decided not to answer him. Ishida cursed.

Suddenly, he saw Ichigo getting into the school with Keigo and Mizuiro.

"Oi, Ishida! Just got out of the hospital and you're already in a fight? Who the hell are you fighting agains-" Ichigo began to say as he cleared himself a path. As he got there, all he could do was to stare at one of the oddest situations that he never thought he would ever get to see.

* * *

><p>Ichigo slammed the door of a random class as he got into it. No one was there yet, as everyone was outside watching the battle between Ishida and… Tensa Zangetsu.<p>

He leaned his head against one of the tables, closing his eyes.

_How the hell is that even possible? Did I truly lose my sanity? _

_I payed the price I needed to. I was supposed not to get my shinigami powers again and he surprised me getting out of nowhere, gripped by the collar of his shirt by Ishida?_

_Should… Should I go to check if he's alright?_

_** It would take more than him to defeat me.**_

Ichigo's head was raised as soon as he heard that voice. There was no doubt about him now… Ichigo didn't lose his sanity.

It was really happening. He was there.

Ichigo, for the first time in 18 months felt that someone was near him.

He turned his head to the direction of the door.

A teenager with a long, black hair and blue eyes was standing there.

* * *

><p>Even though a specific person found Ichigo pretty quickly, Orihime, Chad, Mizuiro and Keigo were still running around the school, looking for him.<p>

The more time that was taken for them to find him, the more worried they became. What the hell was he thinking? Why did he act that strangely?

Orihime was relieved that Ichigo wasn't kidnapped, and wondered if it had anything to do with his reaction this morning to everything that he saw.

_It almost seemed like he knew the person Ishida-kun was holding… I don't remember seeing him at Soul Society, and I don't remember seeing him with Hiyori-san and all the rest of the Visoreds, and of course he couldn't be from Xcution… Where could Kurosaki-kun know that guy? Even Asano-kun and Kojima-kun didn't seem to recognize him when I asked them just a minute ago..._

_Also, I couldn't sense any reiatsu from him. Was it too weak it was completely crushed by other people's reiatsu, or was he suppressing it?_

_Does he even know the whole truth about Kurosaki-kun? About what he used to be, a substitute Shinigami?_

_Also, I saw in the news today that the mansion of Tsukishima-san was blown up; did Kurosaki-kun or his kidnapper have anything to do with that?_

_Could the boy Kurosaki-kun was staring at cause this explosion?_

* * *

><p>"Damn it, they both ran away." Yukio cursed as he looked at the TV in Xcution's safe house. He sat on one of the chairs, lifting his legs on the table and holding his fullbring in his hand. Apparently, he could play actual games in it, too."It seems like they just won't blow up no matter how hard you try to." He sighed.<p>

"They still owe us, I say we should track them down and threaten them that we'll kill them if they won't do so." Giriko mused from the side, drinking a cup of tea. "And don't take the credit; I was the one to blow up the mansion with my Time Tells No Lies."

"We can do that, Yukio! Don't forget the tracking device from your Invaders Must Die; they probably didn't include it in their plans!" Jackie grinned. She was in the middle of explaining Riruka why the hell her aquarium isn't cute at all, but couldn't help it when she heard their conversation.

"Then we should better get going. It seems like they haven't left yet to Soul Society, like they're waiting for something to happen." Yukio looked at his console in concentration.

"Yes, I agree. Waiting any longer would just hurt our plans." Giriko said as he finished his tea and stood up.

"No, wait. I don't want to be a part of that." Riruka said, starting to sweat. She was sitting next to Jackie, her aquarium in her hands and she was exactly in the middle of explaining Jackie why would she shove her into it if she won't shut the hell up and stop saying that this isn't cute.

_I don't want to hurt Ichigo, but they won't just leave me alone._

_I feel sorry for everything Ichigo had to get through… He didn't deserve being nothing but a tool for Ginjo to get stronger; no one should ever feel the pain he felt._

_Why can't they understand that? Are they beasts who chase after nothing but raw power?_

Yukio lifted an eyebrow and pushed a button in his Invaders Must Die in front of Riruka's terrified face. She knew what he just did, and blocks-like objects started to cover her in a few seconds. Yukio was 'saving' her, sealing her away in his console.

"You would come anyway." He said, just before she completely disappeared from their sight.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked. He was leaning his head against the table with his eyes closed again.<p>

Tensa Zangetsu sat on a random chair near him. He started to tell Ichigo everything in detail.

Ichigo listened quietly, saying nothing during his explanation.

When he finished, Ichigo said nothing for another minute. "Why are you in this form, anyway? I thought that in the moment I'd lose my consciousness or be close to death you would be back to Shikai mode, and I've been in both the situations."

He didn't expect that kind of a question. He thought about it for a moment. "All I can do is guess… Since you lost your shinigami powers while I was in Bankai form and right now your body doesn't recognize me as part of it, I can't get back to Shikai form," He looked at Ichigo surprised expression. "But, you aren't dead. If I'd be in Bankai mode for that long you would be end up dead from draining completely your reiatsu, but you haven't died."

"I see." Ichigo seemed worried. "Then does that mean it was permanent? You're no longer a part of me?"

"I am." Ichigo raised one of his eye brows at his answer. "In the moment you'd have enough reiatsu and you'd complete getting your shinigami powers back, I'd be able to get back to your inner world."

What they haven't spoke about, but it was obvious that the subject was considered, is Ginjo and Tsukishima's escape. Ichigo knew he would be useless without his shinigami powers.

_If I don't have neither Fullbring or Shinigami powers, then if Ginjo or Tsukishima do a move I'd be useless, and I'd be able to do nothing to stop them from hurting my friends and family._

_Heck that, I won't even be able to protect myself. I'd be dead the moment either of them will swing one of their swords in order to hurt me._

_If I won't even be able to protect myself, and I won't be able to even throw my life in order to protect others because I have no power, what meaning will I have?_

_He came here, and faced both Ginjo and Tsukishima yesterday in order to protect me._

Tensa Zangetsu didn't answer Ichigo's thought.

The bell rang. Students were starting to get into the class he and Ichigo were in.

They both went to Ichigo's class without saying a word.

* * *

><p>When they got there, Misato Ochi [3], Ichigo's teacher, asked to speak with the teenager that came with him outside the class.<p>

"We'd have to postpone your introduction for tomorrow, there's a special event today and I'm afraid we won't have any time to do anything else."

He nodded, and went back to class. He looked around looking for a place to sit in. There was an empty seat next to Ichigo, where a specific student named Kuchiki Rukia used to sit, and he sat there feeling quite uncomfortable.

Kagine [4] and the principal of the high-school were both standing there with folders filling their hands.

"…And because of the fact that you should start thinking about your future, this questionnaire is to check your chances to be in whatever job you'd intend to be hired to."

"…So that means **no** tricks, **no** messing around and you'd better **be serious with those answers!**" Kagine said loud, emphasizing words with a big, not really convincing, smile on his face, but his eyes stayed narrowed, as he was making the students deicide if they either willing to do the test right or having a death wish.

"Exactly, Kagine-san!" The principal said cheerfully. He hasn't noticed Kagine's expression.

The test was quite long, and it took everyone more than an hour to finish it.

When everyone finished and started talking, Ochi asked them to be quiet. "There's a new student joining our class today," She said with a smile. "Please be kind and make him feel comfortable! Now, would you please stand up and write your name on the board?"

He nodded and stood up, walking to the board. Ishida finally noticed him and narrowed his eyes once again. _What does he doing here, in this class? _

_HE'S the new student? What the hell? _

He started writing on the board. The words "天鎖斬月" soon were written. Tensa Zangetsu.

"Nice to meet you all." He said.

Orihime's, Chad's and Ishida's eyes widened simultaneously at the name written on the board, and then on the person.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] – Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, or Final Getsuga Tensho in translation to English, or FGT for short! I really prefer to write it this way, but if that's really confusing for you write me a review and note that and I'll write so the next time! ^^<strong>

**[2] It's pretty weird and ironic if you think about Zangetsu's height (Like Kenpachi's height… 0_0), but from manga drawings of Kubo it seems like Tensa Zangetsu is much shorter than Ichigo, therefore I assume he's shorter than Ishida as well. (The differences between Ichigo's and Ishida's height right now is something like 4cm only.)**

**[3] Ochi-sensei, or Misato Ochi if you insist using the full name, is the teacher that every time Ichigo was studying in class she was teaching him, and also presenting new characters such as Hirako Shinji. I hate OCs to I decided to make her the teacher here too, even though I doubt that she'd still be their teacher even so much time later but that would be for the best.**

**[4] Kagine is the sport teacher in Ichigo's school, he was shown a few times but I added a reference about him too just in case some of you would forget him or his name.**

**Wow, there were lots of references in this chapter! I hope it won't keep be so for a while… That probably was tiring for you all to check every time.**

**How was the chapter? Liked it? Hated it? Please tell me in a review! (Just… No flames… I don't want to stop writing this fanfiction and I assume others would be disappointed as well if I'd decide to do so.)**

**I just found out how nice it is to get some of those, and I WANT MORE! :D**

**I know that everyone hates cliffies, but I just couldn't help it in this chapter… It was so demanding for a good cliffy at the end of it! Please don't hate me :3**


	3. Making Good Relations, OK?

**Hello everyone! I'm back again with another chapter, NUMBER THREE! **

**I simply enjoyed every single moment of reading your reviews, and all of those favorites and story alerts were awesome! I couldn't believe such a thing was happening and that someone's ACTUALLY reading my chapters!**

**This chapter is longer than the second one because I thought you'd be glad if I'd do such a thing, and because I really was disappointed of the length of Completely Encompass and thought I can aim for more than that in the next one.**

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled!**

**I just want to remind again that THIS FANFICTION ISN'T A YAOI STORY! I mean it! Nothing happens! This fanfiction won't include any romance between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it DID belong to me, you'd have to deal with stick figures and a horrible plot… And promise me, you wouldn't like it. (Shudders at the thought of me doing Bleach)**

**And now, to the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 3: Making Good Relations, OK?**

The bell rang. It was lunch time. Ichigo went out of the class as soon as he heard it. Orihime, Chad and Ishida didn't take their eyes off the board, looking exactly on the spot a specific person named Tensa Zangetsu wrote his name on just fifteen minutes ago.

Even though the teacher already deleted the name from the board and started a regular lesson a few minutes after his introduction, they didn't even notice that.

The similarity of his name… to something that should've been gone by now was extremely suspicious. [1]

Ishida slightly sweated.

_Kurosaki's Zanpakuto name is Zangetsu._

_This person's name is Tensa Zangetsu._

_But, Ichigo always calls his Zanpakuto as he's an "old man" [2], while the person I face is a teenager._

_What the hell is happening?_

The boy who claimed himself to be named Tensa Zangetsu left the class after a minute.

Orihime and Chad went to Ishida's seating place with their eyes wide open.

Ishida looked around. There were still something like twenty people in the classroom. "We should better get out to the roof."

Orihime and Chad nodded and went after him. Once they got to the roof which no one was at, they sat near the wall of the staircase which leads downstairs.

"I-Ishida… Did you also think about…?" Chad asked him quietly.

"I believe so. This similarity can't be just a coincidence." He said, closing his eyes.

"Well… I do have an idea for the other name of that person."

"What's that, Sado-kun?" Orihime asked curiously. She was confused by the mysterious teenager that seemed to terrify even the big, powerful Kurosaki-kun just two hours ago.

"Renji's Shikai name was Zabimaru, as his Bankai name was Hihio Zabimaru. I learned those names while he trained me before we went to rescue you from Hueco Mundo, Inoue."

Orihime was terrified. "A-Are you trying to say that…"

"It was the same with Kurotsuchi. His… His Shikai's name was Ashisogi Jizo, while his Bankai's name was Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo… The Bankai's name seems to add a word before the Shikai name." Ishida said, closing his eyes to remember the names. The face of the scientist he despised appeared in his mind. He shivered.

"He can also be faking." Orihime and Ishida looked at Chad.

"That's right… When could Kurosaki-kun meet him? I know that he met Zangetsu before, as he calls him old man, but when could he see his Bankai?" Orihime said after thinking a moment.

"Of course he would know how I look like; I trained him for 3 months to learn the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho while he was at the Dangai."

Orihime's, Chad's and Ishida's heads moved as quickly as they could to the source of the voice.

Tensa Zangetsu was standing there in his school uniform.

* * *

><p>(Soul Society, 12th division labs, a day ago)<p>

Rin Tsubokura was exactly at the middle of eating one of his favorite chocolate types.

It was a gift from Yachiru Kusajishi-fukutaicho for his birthday that was just a few days ago, as she really enjoyed to share her love to candies with others, but because of the wrapping that said **Property of the Kuchiki family **he figured he shouldn't eat of those while there's someone near him that may tell the head of the Kuchiki family.

All the seats near the big screens of the 12th division was empty, as there was no reason to keep everyone watching the screens 24/7 while the Arrancars are long gone now and Aizen in his Prison cell, deep in the underground prison, on the lowest level, Muken.

Rin sighed. _It was boring, and he had all he had for company been stolen chocolate bars of Kuchiki-taicho._

Suddenly, two large spots were on the screen.

He read the reiatsu of those, as his eyes were widely open.

"No…No way! That's impossible!"

Mayuri got into the lab, holding a black cloak in his hand. "What is it, Tsubokura? I just found that cloak that Urahara Kisuke left here after he went with the Visoreds."

Rin was still staring at the files that were quickly printed from one of the machines, but still succeeded to hide the candy in one of the drawers by using his other hand.

Kurotsuchi-taicho! Two huge reiatsu sources just appeared! And they belong to humans!""

"Are you sure those aren't just Kurosaki Ichigo's friends and the Quincy?"

"No! The computers of Soul Society anywhere have no information about that reiatsu!"

Mayuri looked at the files Rin was holding. He tried to keep his expression calm, but Rin knew he was faking. Mayuri was terrified. "N-Nemu! Come here!"

"Yes, Mayuri-sama? Did you call me?" She appeared next to him using Shunpo.

"I did. Please ask two of the Gotei 13 captains to send their vice-captains to the Human World. Rin, get out of the lab." Rin obeyed.

"Nemu, also, tell the captains that… The first substitute shinigami, Ginjo Kugo's reiatsu just appeared on our screen with an ally. Also tell them that as for now, we do not know what his ally's abilities are."

I'll do it right away." She said and disappeared from the 12th division's captain sight in a single flash of Shunpo.

* * *

><p>"You know that they'll come after us, right?" Tsukishima mused.<p>

Both of them were still at the hospital, but they didn't mind. They needed to be healed.

"Who? Soul Society or Yukio, Riruka, Giriko and Jackie?"

"Both the groups, and maybe even together."

"Soul Society **should** come after us. If the other four would come as well then we'll just have a bonus, both of number and power, especially if I'd give them from Kurosaki's Fullbring."

What about Moe?" Tsukishima asked."

"That idiot? He ran away from the mansion as soon as he could! What a coward. Remind me to kill him at the moment we'll see him again."

Tsukishima laughed quietly. "It seems like everything goes just like we planned, isn't it Ginjo?"

Ginjo grinned. "I agree."

* * *

><p>Chad's, Ishida's and Orihime's eyes widened even more than earlier as they saw the person who said that sentence.<p>

"Where's Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime said, trying to calm down. Her voice was still terrified no matter how hard she tried not to sound like that.

Tensa Zangetsu pointed to the door. After a few moments Ichigo was heard, going up the stairs talking with Tatsuki on the phone and arguing with her about why he couldn't return the video game he borrowed from her until now. She still was still at her home, with no memories of Tsukishima's mansion but told everyone that she was sick.

As soon as he got there, he told Tatsuki he'd call her later and hung up.

"Kurosaki!"

"What's that, Ishida?" Ichigo didn't say anything about the person who was standing in front of them, looking at him. "If it's about helping you finding an alibi…"

"Kurosaki-kun, who's that?" Orihime said and pointed at Tensa Zangetsu.

Ichigo looked at him. "Tensa Zangetsu." He simply answered.

"WE KNOW THAT, YOU IDIOT! Who is he, for real?" Ishida said

Ichigo lost his focus and stared at the floor.

_What do you think?_

_**I don't mind, that's fine.**_

"My Bankai's Zanpakuto Spirit." Ichigo said quietly. Once again he was looking at them, but he kept his expression calm.

They all were quiet for a minute, trying to realize what they just heard from Ichigo.

"How is that possible, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

"I'd like to answer that question, if you all won't mind." Tensa Zangetsu said. "Ichigo, what are you?" Orihime, Chad and Ishida all noticed that he called Ichigo by his first name, and not his last name.

"A human." He said automatically without thinking.

Ishida snorted. "Don't tell me you still believe that shit, Kurosaki."

"He's right." All of them looked at Tensa Zangetsu, who was still standing and not sitting like the rest of them. "As for now, he doesn't have either shinigami or hollow powers, therefore can be counted as a human."

"But… You're-" Chad started to say.

He explained them everything he explained Ichigo at the beginning of the day.

Once again, they were quiet for a minute.

"That still left one thing unclear. Well, actually two." Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"And that is?"

"The first one is what happened to Kurosaki's inner hollow, if that's so? Is he also materialized?"

"He's still unconscious as he needs more reiatsu to be existing. Ichigo didn't materialize me, but I did it by myself as he couldn't and didn't know I was exist in that moment, or had his conscious in order to do such a thing." Ishida noticed the way he called Ichigo's inner hollow, and shuddered. _I saw Ichigo's inner hollow at action. It definitely shouldn't be called 'he'. It's a monster, not a human or a shinigami and not even a normal hollow or Arrancar. Simply, a monster._

"And the other thing…" Everyone turned their heads to Chad's direction as he suddenly started talking. All of the precipitating in that conversation seemed to be in deep thoughts. "Someone kidnapped Ichigo yesterday night and killed both Ginjo and Tsukishima." He said.

"They weren't killed." Tensa Zangetsu said quietly, his voice was barely heard.

"You… You did it?" All of the people in that conversation were surprised, including Ichigo.

"They were about to kill Ichigo, then I materialized myself and protected him as he was unconscious and unable to fight them."

Ishida was quiet the whole time now.

_He probably couldn't kill them… Just like Kurosaki, apparently when it gets to killing he would do anything but that. That makes sense._

_But, if Ginjo and Tsukishima are alive then they would come again, probably with Xcution's other members as well._

_And… From what Inoue-san and Sado-kun told me about Tsukishima's power, will we stand any chances if they will decide to come with more 'allies' that think they know Tsukishima?_

* * *

><p>Tsukishima waved to the blushing nurses as he left the hospital's main building. "Thank you!" Besides some bandages, as for now Ginjo and Tsukishima were completely healed properly by the humans' method system.<p>

_Too bad that girl Inoue lost the influences of Tsukishima's Fullbring… She would heal our wounds much faster and without leaving any scars._

Ginjo looked at the nurses in curiosity as they waved Tsukishima goodbye. Some of the nurses were crying and others were flowing kisses in the air, telling Tsukishima to call them soon. "Did you… Influence them with your Book of the End?"

Tsukishima smirked. "Ginjo, I just was nice to them. I would keep my Book of the End for better goals than human, powerless nurses of a hospital."

"Leave that aside, can't you feel it? The change of the reiatsu in the air?" Ginjo asked him, seems proud that he sensed that before Tsukishima did.

Tsukishima took a moment to sense properly. "Two….vice-captain level peoples. How lovely."

"They would try to track us."

"Indeed, but that's exactly what we want them to do, isn't it?" He smiled.

* * *

><p>Rukia and Renji were walking down the street. It's been so long since they were at Karakura-Town's area! They both agreed to go later, if they'll be able to, to Ichigo and his friends to have dinner together. Urahara wouldn't mind them to borrow Gigai for such a thing as visiting the poor, powerless Ichigo after so long they were separated. They were sure that Ichigo would also be glad to hear how they've been doing since the loss of his powers and Rukia's promotion to a vice-captain in the 13th division after so long she wasn't a seated officer just because Byakuya's interfering.<p>

Rukia checked her phone. The two dots seemed to change their spot every couple of minutes now… _Do they know that we're here? Or do that to be safe anyway?_

Thetwo dots stayed at a building not too far from them and didn't move._ We got them! _

She told Renji and the both of them dashed to the dots' location using Shunpo.

When they got there, their eyes widened. It was a ruined, two-levels building that had a big sign of **Soon to be rebuilt **on the top of it. _What a great place to hide in, _Renji thought to himself.

They both kicked the door downstairs and ran to the top floor. Two peoples were greeting them at big smiles. "It's been a while, wasn't it? Rukia-san, Renji-san." The taller one said, holding a bookmark in his hand and a book on the other. "Too bad you haven't come earlier, I thought you wouldn't come and I started to read that book here. You see, it's about-"

"I'm sorry, but we haven't seen any of you before and we have a command from the Gotei 13 to arrest you two as we've been looking for you two for a while now." Renji said quickly, interrupting Tsukishima's words. "And why are you calling us in our first names as we were good friends?"

"Why, why… Don't you remember? I helped you rescuing Rukia-san before she was executed!" Tsukishima said in a very convincing voice.

"Y-You bastard…! Rukia wasn't rescued-" Before even getting the chance to end his sentence, Tsukishima stabbed them both.

Renji blinked, and then smiled a stupid grin that spread on all over his face in seconds. "Tsukishima-san! It's been a while now! What are you doing these days?"

"Eh, it's Tsukishima-san!" Rukia gave him a beautiful smile that, like Renji's, spread on all over her face. It was obvious that she tried to make him to like her. "I owe so much to you, and lately I didn't have the chance to say that to you!"

"Is that so? We'll have to talk later to hear **everything **about what happened to you all of these months, isn't that so?" They nodded, still smiling stupid, wide grins. "Well then, would you mind doing for me a favor? Oh well, actually there's two of them." Tsukishima said with a big, lovely smile on his face.

* * *

><p>The bell rang. The day was over. Ichigo scowled and lifted his school bag behind his shoulder. It was all dirty because of the long time it spent on the ground… He'd have to ask Yuzu to wash it.<p>

Tensa Zangetsu froze. Ichigo turned to him to ask him what happened, but even he could sense such a thing by himself now.

_Rukia and Renji! Both of them here! What the hell happened? Have they heard about Tsukishima and Ginjo and came to help?_

Both of them stood in front of Rukia and Renji in moments. The look in Rukia and Renji's eyes was cold and cruel. "Kurosaki Ichigo, you bastard… Is the guy the Gotei 13 commanded us to find! You shall come with us, with no objection, and shall be judged by Soul Society's ways of legislation!"

"R-Rukia, Renji… Don't you remember me?" Ichigo said surprised. _Could it be..?_

_**There are remains of Tsukishima Shukuro's reiatsu all over them; they are probably influenced by his Book of the End in these moments. They don't really mean what they say.**_

"You? Don't make me laugh. Just a foolish human who thought he would be able to mess up with Soul Society's rules!" Rukia laughed a cold laugh. Ichigo's eyes were wide open, and terrified.

_I never saw Rukia like that… So heartless and cold._

_Even when she left with Byakuya she was still crying and her voice shook, showing that she can feel that she has emotions and not just masking her emotions like now, talking in a cold voice._

_**We'll have to split up.**_

_I'm powerless; I wouldn't even be able to keep up with one of them even if I wanted to, much less hurting one of them. _Ichigo thought sadly.

Tensa Zangetsu looked at him for a long moment, as if he was checking something. Then, he pulled something from his uniform's pocket. Ichigo automatically recognized it.

_M-My badge!_

_**I'd like you to use a different way besides a fullbring with it.**_

_Which is?_

He gave it to Ichigo. _**What was its original role?**_

He took the badge. _No, you can't mean…_

_**Try.**_

Ichigo pressed the badge on his body. When he was out of his body, he noticed that he was in his shinigami clothes and also had his Bankai coat on him. Yet, his sword was nowhere to be seen.

In a single flash, Tensa Zangetsu was once again dressed in his black, ragged cloak.

Tensa Zangetsu materialized a sword and tossed it to Ichigo, who caught it easily. After he did that, he summoned one for himself. Usually he couldn't summon more than one, but because Ichigo didn't have his sword Tensa Zangetsu's limit was lower, as he was supposed to be the one to give Ichigo his sword as for now.

_Do you still keep tossing swords around? [3]_

He ignored the question. _**You won't be in your full power of Bankai, but it's better than fighting in your human form. You shall take Kuchiki Rukia while I'll take Abarai Renji.**_

_Okay._

They both knew Ichigo would prefer to stab himself with that sword than stabbing Rukia, but he couldn't approach her weaponless when she's effected by Tsukishima's Book of the End.

"I'll face you, Rukia."

"Call me Kuchiki please, and I agree."

They both disappeared in a single flash of Shunpo.

Renji looked at Tensa Zangetsu for a few seconds before he started talking. "That's a nice trick you got there, Mr.…?"

"My name is Tensa Zangetsu. It's been a while… I suppose."

Renji twisted as that piece of information gave him a major headache. He barely stood up, leaning on his sealed Zabimaru. "D-don't say f-foolish things!" His voice shook. "I-I have n-never seen you b-before!" Memories were flying in his mind. _It… Hurts! Those memories aren't real! Stop!_

_A teenager with a spiky, orange hair and a scowl on his face, in so many different situations, screamed "Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu." in his head. Who is this guy?_

He kept swinging his sword around, but Tensa Zangetsu avoided any attack. He didn't try to hit back, because he knew it would lead to no good. He suddenly sensed a similar, but different reiatsu near.

"What are you doing, Renji?"

Renji turned his head to the left. Zabimaru had materialized next to him. Both his snake head and his baboon head were looking at him, emotionless. "Z-Zabimaru…!" Renji called, surprised by the sudden appearance of his Zanpakuto Spirit.

"It's been a while, Zangetsu… About two years." [4] He turned his body to Tensa Zangetsu's direction so he would be able to look at him with his baboon head, but the snake head on his tail was still looking at Renji.

"I agree. It's good to see you again, Zabimaru." He said, ignoring Renji who kept looking at the two feeling uncomfortable.

"Zabimaru, who is that…?" Renji said, slightly annoyed by the fact that the teenager with the black hair in front of him was ignoring him.

"He said a minute ago; His name is Tensa Zangetsu, Kurosaki Ichigo's Bankai Zanpakuto Spirit." Once again, Renji had a splitting headache. _An old, tall man stood next to two blurry figures… One was a dark skinned woman with golden colored eyes; the second one was a wounded orange haired teenager who was scowling, holding a sword in his hand… The old man had long, brown hair, narrow sunglasses and a ragged, black cloak. The sword he was holding had the same colors as the teenager's sword,half-white half-black, but with a different shape… The whole field around them was filled with more swords that were half-white half-black, but each one of them had its own special shape._

_"So that's your Zanpakuto Spirit?" he asked in a calm voice. He was smirking._

_"R-Renji!" The orange haired teenager called in surprise._

He tried to stab the teenager with his sealed sword, to make those memories stop.

He stopped the sword with one finger and then he left it without trying to hurt Renji or drawing his sword. Renji's sealed sword dropped near his body, who kept twisting in pain.

Tensa Zangetsu began to explain about Tsukishima's Fullbring to Zabimaru.

"I see." Zabimaru looked at Renji, who was laying on the ground, holding his head tight, his sword near him. "Then, he, and Rukia… are effected by some sort of falsification of history to think that Ichigo is the enemy and the opposite?"

"Yes. But, I believe that there is a way to reverse it." He told him about Orihime and Chad, who lost the effects after a specific event.

"Z-Zabimaru…! What the hell are you talking about?" Renji succeeded to say between one large headache to the others. It seemed like he didn't hear the teenager's explanation. He struggled to stand up, and succeeded. "Kurosaki Ichigo is the enemy, just like any ally of him!" He released his Shikai, but after a few moments it was sealed without his command. _W…Why? How did that happen? _He stared at the sword, and then at Zabimaru. "Why did you do that?"

"Don't attack him, Renji. He's not your enemy."

Renji's eyes widened. "P-Please stop Zabimaru! H-He is Tsukishima-san's ene-" He succeeded to say before he fainted. Zabimaru dematerialized itself and went back to Renji's inner world.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] – Though it would seem weird, from what I know neither Ishida, Orihime nor Chad have ever heard Ichigo's Bankai name but only his Shikai name in the manga, which I rely on as my main source. I decided to use that over here, thinking how odd is that.<strong>

**Even in the anime, no one ever saw how Zangetsu looks like (Besides Renji, Yoruichi and Muramasa in the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc.) and I thought how great it could be if there was a fanfiction about it. (And so was The Black Moon Rising created.)**

**[2]- Zangetsu no ossan = Old man Zangetsu. (From what I know…)**

**[3]- When Ichigo went to his inner world during his fight with Zaraki Kenpachi, Zangetsu throws to Ichigo the Asauchi rather than just giving it to him normally, which makes Ichigo almost drop the sword and ask Zangetsu if he's okay, throwing swords around like that. I decided to do a tiny reference about it over here.**

**[4]- Zabimaru and Zangetsu saw each other before, when Ichigo and Renji trained to achieve Bankai at the same place in the Soul Society arc. If Renji and Ichigo talked in those breaks like Kubo showed they did, I suppose Zabimaru and Zangetsu talked as well.**

**That was a nice chapter, wasn't it? Full of action, and just like I hoped for- much longer than the previous one :D**

**I really liked that title I picked... 'Making Good Relations, OK?' because even though it was a name of the chapter when Ichigo fought Ikkaku in Soul Society, it still really fits here the chapter, with all the random relationships that developed.**

**Review please! I'll give you some of Rin's long forgotten chocolate bars from the drawers! :D**

**(Just don't eat those next to Byakuya at any given situation, unless you want to experience Senbonzakura's effects in first-hand.) **


	4. Collisions

**And here I am, back with another chapter… It took me a while to find a good title, and I eventually found it in the most unexpected volume: The Blade and Me. I seriously didn't think I'd be able to use a good title from there, but I was dead wrong.**

**Well, I was truly glad when I saw all of the great reviews of the readers! I keep getting more new reviewers every time now, how lucky I am! :D**

**Keep those reviews going! These, the story alerts and the favorites (now I start to see some favorite author as well!) because that is the only thing that makes me keep going!**

**I'm going to use here a little thing AnonymousIsSleepy wrote me, even though I'm pretty much sure it wasn't this way… Yes, who knows what would people think when they'll see Ichigo's body thrown. I actually wanted to do so anyway, but because you was the one to review about it I shall give you your credit.**

**And… now to the usual stuff:**

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, then I'd probably return Ganju. Oh, and Kukaku (He needs someone to kick him if he comes back late, isn't he?). Oh, and his Bonnie-chan as well :D**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 4: Collisions**

Ichigo ran from Tensa Zangetsu's place of fighting to keep some distance, with Rukia watching him carefully so he won't run away. Both of them were standing on mid-air.

_Rukia never acted like that, no matter what happened… _Ichigo shuddered.

_She doesn't seem to know the limits of my power, because I don't have the same amounts of reiatsu I used to have… That's good._

_She wouldn't try to fight seriously at the beginning of the battle, nor will try to use her Shikai, thinking that I don't worth seeing it._

_But… How would I be able to show her that she's wrong? How would I be able to show her that Tsukishima is evil?_

Rukia stopped. Ichigo turned to see why.

"We shall fight here." She said in a cold voice. She didn't look in Ichigo's eyes.

"Okay." He said, feeling extremely uncomfortable with her tone.

She unsheathed her sword, taking a fighting stance and for the first time looking at the boy from close. He seemed to make her remember something… her old vice-captain back before she took that position. Kaien Shiba. They looked almost the same.

She flinched as a strong headache attacked her, but disappearing after a moment.

Taking no serious attention for that, she attacked Ichigo.

_I can't use Kido to seal her, because I don't know how._

_Currently, I can't knock her out as well, because she's much focused and I don't want to hurt her._

Ichigo knocked her sword off with a single move of his hand. Rukia wasted no time at going to get her sword, and instead yelled at a loud voice. "Hado #31: Shakkaho!"

Ichigo reflected the attack with his sword.

_She must see the truth._

_Tensa Zangetsu told me that Inoue and Chad were cured only because the weight of their memories… Should I try to do the same thing here with her…?_

By the time Ichigo reflected the attack, Rukia was back with her sword. She seemed surprised to see that Ichigo had no injuries, and looked absolutely the same, not even panting.

"I see… It seems like I should have use a higher Kido against you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

_Why is that name so painful to say?_

_I've never seen him before._

A picture, as if it was from a memory, formed in her mind.

_A girl with a black, short hair and a tall teenager with an orange hair were in front of each other. A big, wounded hollow was in the background. The details were blurred, but Rukia could say it wasn't because of her bad memory. Something, or rather someone kept details behind._

_"Do you want to save your family?" The girl asked. She was heavily injured, and talked as there was no other choice._

_"Is there a way! A way to help them! Tell me!" The teenager yelled in frustration. _

_"There is a way… No, to be exact… I should say there is only one way…" The girl lifted her sword. "You… Become a shinigami!"_

_"Wha… What are you saying…? How can I…" The teenager asked. It was obvious he was surprised from the girl's answer. _

"Hado 33: Sokatsui!" Rukia screamed in frustration and pointed the palm of her hand at Ichigo. His eyes widened in worry.

Ichigo once again reflected the attack. His eyes widened even more when he realized it was only a distraction for Rukia to use another spell. She raised her index finger, while a spark of yellow light showed. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro!" [1] She yelled and pointed her finger at Ichigo.

Ichigo was surprised. He knew Rukia could use such a high Bakudo, but using that against him showed that she truly doesn't know him anymore, and goes all out by Kido meanings, using even full incantation. Six beams of light soon slammed into Ichigo, completely making him unable to move properly. He started to raise his reiatsu as high as he could in order to break the spell, and so he succeeded after a few minutes of struggling against the high-leveled Kido of Rukia.

They kept clashing swords for a few more minutes, but Rukia could tell she wasn't at her best, and neither is he actually trying to wound her.

Rukia's eyes widened when she recognized the reiatsu the boy was emitting subconsciously. Her headache was back as she sunk again into her own memories.

_"You can! Pierce the middle of your chest with this Zanpakuto…" She held her Zanpakuto as if to prove her own point. "…And I will insert you half of my shinigami power! That way… You will attain the power of a shinigami temporarily… And will be able to fight the hollow on equal terms!" She answered him._

_"Is it really ok… To do something like that?"_

_"I do not know…Of course this is a plan set up anticipating your high nature spiritual nature… The percentage of success is not high… If it fails, you die…!" She stopped for a second. "However, there is no other way! There is no time to deliberate."_

_"Ichigo…" A girl called. Both the girl and the boy turned their heads. A young girl who was bleeding was shown. "Where are you…? Ichigo…"_

Rukia was back again, and regained focus.

It seemed as nothing happened. The teenager she was attacking didn't make a move while she was out, not trying to take advantage from the circumstances they were at.

Ichigo haven't moved, even though he was released from the binding spell Rukia casted upon him. He wasn't attacking by his own, but rather defending himself without any tries to damage his enemy.

At the moment Rukia understood that, she was furious. "Why… Why won't you fight me already!" She screamed. "You have no reason to keep acting like that, you fool!"

"I would never hurt you, Rukia." He said quietly. "Either if you remember me or not, I won't hurt you."

Rukia's emotionless mask was broken. Tears were flowing from her eyes, even though she had no idea why.

_"Yuzu… Are you having a scary dream…?"_

_"Don't come… It's dangerous… Hurry and get away…" Tears could be seen in the young girl's eyes. "Ichigo…"_

_The teenager seemed terrified. "Give me the sword, shinigami! Let's give your idea a try!"_

_"It is not 'shinigami'. It is 'Kuchiki Rukia'." She said with a little smile on her face._

_"I see… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Let's pray this doesn't become the last greeting." He said, smiling. "For both of us."_

_The hollow roared._

_"The hollow's coming… If we don't hurry…" _

_"Let's do it."_

_"…Yes."_

_The sword pierced Kurosaki Ichigo's body._

"Make it stop!" She said loudly, starting to shake all of a sudden.

"What?" Ichigo said, acting confused. _Did she start to remember her memories already?_

They both suddenly felt something was wrong. Their eyes widened. Another reiatsu of Renji Abarai just appeared.

Rukia was terrified because she thought such a thing was impossible, while Ichigo was terrified because he knew that reiatsu, which was a little bit different from Renji's no matter what.

It was Zabimaru who materialized there, near his master Renji.

"Such a thing…!" Rukia said, terrified. She seemed to forget her headache for a second, from her surprise.

_How is that possible?_

_What the hell just happened to Renji over there? What are that guy's powers?_

Rukia kept doing nothing but to stare at the sky who turned already to black while they didn't noticed, and kept sensing Renji's and the other reiatsu's mode, quite worrying for Renji's sake.

In the moments afterwards, Renji's reiatsu decreased quickly, and the other reiatsu similar to his disappeared and was nowhere to be sensed.

"Wha… What just happened?" Rukia muttered to herself.

"Renji fainted, but he isn't in any danger. Also, he's not wounded at all." Ichigo said quietly.

_How could he know such a thing?_

_Even I cannot sense such a small details of either Renji is wounded or not!_

"How could you know that?" She finally said.

Ichigo didn't answer.

"D-Don't take me lightly!" She said, but it was obvious she isn't as confident as she wanted to be. Her voice shook and her reiatsu decreased quickly because of the frequent use of Kido.

The headache now was also too major and painful to be avoided. Faces of people she either knew or thought she didn't know flashed in her head. Battles, information and history details felt as if it was shoved at her face. She finally lost her balance and landed on her knees, but still floated in mid-air as she was conscious enough to do so. She held her sword in her slightly shaken hands, holding it tight."Dance… Sod-"

Suddenly, she felt a hand placed in front of her face. "D-Damn it, Inemuri…" [2] She succeeded to say before losing her consciousness. "Well now, Kurosaki-san… I'm glad I came on time." The man smiled, waving with his fan, his eyes hidden behind his hat.

"U-Urahara-san…" Ichigo said, surprised. _What is he doing here?_

_**I called him.**_

"Oh, before I forget… Here, I suppose you'll need to use it, won't you?" Urahara took out of the sack he was holding, which was big and dark-colored a body Ichigo recognized as his own.

"Wha… WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING KEEPING MY BODY IN A SACK? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE MURDERED ME AND YOU TRY TO HIDE THE EVIDENCES!" Ichigo screamed at the smiling man.

"You see, I didn't have where to-" He began to say.

"IT'S STILL WEIRD!" Ichigo yelled as he got back into his own body again, like he had done so many times before. After he did so, he sighed and scratched the back of his head.

Both he and Urahara holding Rukia's body were on the ground already.

"Well, I'd go now… Will Rukia stay at your shop until she will be healed? It seems like she used quite a big amount of her reiatsu while she tried to attack me, and I suppose my closet-"

"No, no Kurosaki-san! Both Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san would stay at my shop until they'll fully heal!" Urahara said.

"Okay, thanks." Ichigo left Urahara and headed to his house, picking his more-than-dirty-now bag from the floor on his way.

* * *

><p>Renji opened his eyes. He automatically recognized the place he was at – Urahara Shop.<p>

"How the hell… Did I get here?" He mumbled.

"Renji…" Rukia was at the same room as he, but in a different bed. It seemed like she also woke up just a couple of minutes ago. "This is the Urahara Shop, isn't it?" She said.

The door was opened before Renji could respond. A specific orange-haired teenager looked at them curiously. "So, you finally woke up, huh? Took you long enough… Three days are too much to be asleep…"

"I-Ichigo…" Rukia said. Suddenly, she remembered everything she did to him. "I-I'm so sorry…"

"That's fine, Rukia…" He said and shrugged. "You didn't really understand what was happening, and you were under the effects of that bastard, Tsukishima…"

"How did you…"

"…Regained shinigami powers…?" He explained them about what Ginjo told him when he was training with him. "Oh, and congratulations for the promotion, Rukia… You finally agreed to take Kaien's seat?

"Y-Yeah…" She said.

"How the hell did Byakuya allow such a thing?" Ichigo said confused.

"Well, he-"

Someone entered through the door, holding a tray with two glasses of water and two white pills inside a small box."Urahara-san asked me to give you two those pills now that you woke up." He said, but then he realized Renji was at the middle of a sentence before he entered.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll come later." He said and turned to leave, leaving the tray on the table near the two beds of Rukia and Renji.

"Y-You!" Renji said loudly, surprised by the figure's sudden appearance.

"What?"

"You were the one I fought against!" Renji suddenly remembered. The boy he was facing was the same boy he faced while Ichigo fought against Rukia the other night… He even wore the same outfit – A hooded, black cloak with ragged ends and a pair of black boots with white soles. After hearing twice his name, and once from a part of his very soul, he wouldn't forget it so soon. Tensa Zangetsu.

"I wouldn't call that a fight, you kept holding your head and screaming from pain." Tensa Zangetsu answered him.

Renji didn't answer him.

"Ichigo… Is he really…?" Rukia began to say, but didn't know how to finish her sentence.

"He's here, isn't he? Ask him instead of me." Ichigo shrugged.

Renji was quiet, as he didn't want to ask the quite disturbing person he was standing in front of was really either who he said he is or he lied.

_Ichigo… is just as usual, with his immense reiatsu. Even though I can say only from sensing that he got his shinigami power a few days ago, he still has a pretty large amount of reiatsu. _

_This guy, who is probably Tensa Zangetsu like he said he is, is probably hiding it. Unlike his master, he knows to control his reiatsu and also don't mind to do so. But I can say it's pretty strong, and the remains he couldn't, or not bothering to hide are almost identical to Ichigo's reiatsu, but lacks any hollow signs that supposed to be in his reiatsu, as his master is part-hollow._

"Oh, speaking of that… You two were sent to here to capture Ginjo and Tsukishima?" Ichigo asked, leaning against the wall while sitting down.

"Who's Tsukishima?" Renji asked.

"Tsukishima Shukuro is a person who has Fullbring powers, hollow-based powers of humans. His special Fullbring is of falsification of history, or, an ability to insert his presence into the pasts of the peoples whom he cut. He eventually revealed himself to be an ally of Ginjo Kugo." Tensa Zangetsu said after he realized from Ichigo's thoughts he's too disturbed to answer properly.

"Y-Yeah, Mayuri told Nemu to t-tell two captains to send their vice-captains to the Human World in order to get Ginjo back to Soul Society for more questioning, but if his ally was to be captu-" Rukia's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no... Renji!" She said quietly, but her voice shook by little.

"I-I thought about the same thing. We must hurry!" He said quickly, terrified as well. He tried to stand up, but his headache was back for another round. He flinched as he was back to seating state. He immediately took the pill and handed Rukia hers so they'll be healed soon.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, after he seemed to wake up and notice what they just said in the background.

"Tsukishima asked us to do two favors after… after he used his power on us and made us think he was you. The first one was to catch you and to say that was an order from Soul Society, or to catch anyone who will assist you on your way, and the second one was…" She sighed as she fully regretted what she had done. "To sneak the Urahara Shop and use his gate in order to pass both of them and another group of humans with high amount of reiatsu to Soul Society, to visit some of their shinigami friends over there."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What?"

"From what he's saying…" Renji did his best not to say Tensa Zangetsu's name while he spoke. "Then that's a pretty big problem. They can be there right now, gathering allies to protect the first substitute shinigami and that Tsukishima…"

"G-Ginjo is the first substitute shinigami?" Ichigo said surprised.

"You didn't know, even though you fought against him? Ukitake-taicho told me that right before we went to the Human World. He hid for years over here and apparently found new allies as well of getting stronger by training." Rukia said to Ichigo.

"Yeah, Xcution…" Ichigo told them everything he knew about Xcution, their Fullbrings and what they told him about their history. When he got to the part of how they look like, Rukia and Renji gasped simultaneously. "Those descriptions… they were the one to leave with Ginjo and Tsukishima! Though, they kept blabbering about some kind of a Fullbring he owes them of someone…"

"So they joined their side as well." Ichigo sighed. "So they weren't under Tsukishima's influences all along, but acted like that."

"The Fullbring they talked about… That's probably yours, Ichigo… Ginjo took it away, and they want him to share that with them." Tensa Zangetsu said.

Ichigo nodded. "That makes the most sense. All they strive for is power, then. Don't care to crush peoples on their way nor begging fo-" He was cut by the middle with a noise of a cracking door. The door broke and discovered Ishida, Urahara, Orihime and Chad falling over the door, wearing Urahara's reiatsu-masking cloaks, clearly eavesdropping.

Orihime smiled a sheepishly smile and waved to Renji and Rukia. "Kuchiki-saaan! Renji-saaan! It's so nice to see you two again!"

"I-Inoue… did you eavesdrop our conversation?" Rukia said, slightly sweatdropping like the rest of the people who were at the room when the door crashed into the floor.

"N-No! It's nothing like that!" She said quickly.

"Ah, so you all were here? How long were you staying, Abarai-san? Kuchiki-san?" Urahara said, waving his fan.

"You just sent me here a few minutes ago…" Tensa Zangetsu said.

"But I didn't know where!" Urahara said.

"Oh, you give me a headache." Ichigo said, but then he noticed Ishida standing behind all of them. "Ishida, what happened to the Quincy pride now that you eavesdrop to other people's conversation?"

Ishida lifted his glasses, but didn't answer Ichigo.

Ichigo smirked after a minute Ishida chose not to answer, claiming that fact as a small victory for him.

"So that's true?" Chad finally asked. "Tsukishima and Ginjo are now at Soul Society?"

"So we suppose, but they could have also been eventually stopped by the gate guardians…" Rukia said, before realizing they would just stab the guardian and move on. "…Oh."

No one talked, thinking about what they should do now.

"We must check Soul Society's condition." Urahara said, but it seemed like he said that from no choice.

"How?" Ichigo said, hoping that Urahara wouldn't say the obvious thing that he was afraid of.

"We will have to go there, and deal with them." Urahara said after a moment of silence.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] - Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro, Six Rods Prison of Light… You know, the six beams thingy of Bakudo Byakuya love to use? Yeah, that one.<strong>

**[2] – Inemuri, or Forced Slumber in English. Yamamoto used that Bakudo once to knock Hinamori unconscious after she became too full of emotions over Aizen… I thought Urahara would probably know such a useful Bakudo as well.**

**Is my pace too quick?**

**I really start to think I put too much information in every chapter, while every other fanfic I see use a much slower pace than mine. **

**If that bothers you then please write me in the review that and I'll try not to do so on the next time I'll write another chapter.**

**Review please! I cannot tell you how much it's fun to read such a good comments about something you have created by yourself from your own idea.**


	5. SO UNLUCKY WE ARE

**Soooo…Wow. This is the 5****th**** chapter already. Time sure passes by… Anyway, are you pleased with this fanfic so far? Please tell me in a review.**

**I tried my best to slow down the pace, but still not to be annoying and to start making nonsense chapters about random things. I hope you'd like it better this way… If that's too slow then tell me.**

**Also, words can't describe how much I thank each person who wrote me a review! You guys are the best! :D**

**HyperStar – I'm sorry, but Microsoft's Word doesn't do such a good job on grammar fixing… And, like I wrote before, English isn't my native language and I'm only 14 year old girl, which sometimes causes some problems with my writing skills. (And, also, this is my first fanfic I've ever wrote so I don't have any experience doing such things as writing fanfiction.) **

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, than I'd make Ryuken appear much more often. He's the perfect badass Quincy Uryu would take years to be like. If I ever underestimated the Quincy, the moment I saw him made me think about how awesome they can be only if they just wanted to.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 5: SO UNLUCKY WE ARE**

All of the people in the room were terrified by the words of the former 12th division captain. Just thinking about what was ahead made everyone feel dazed. All the consequences of his idea… Going to Soul Society… How can they bring themselves to once again blend into the world of the shinigami, fighting their own ex-comrades they once knew?

Even for Renji and Rukia, who originally came from the Soul Society to the Human World in order to capture Ginjo and any other ally of his it still was too much for them to bear. The idea of fighting against people from their own division was painful, to hurt themselves and others only because of a puppeteer behind the shadows who messes with their memories.

And so, they were tricked. Tricked to cause Ginjo, Tsukishima and the weird group of theirs to leave to a world they should have never got to without their help, getting to the Urahara Shop at night and stealing, practically stealing, his invention to help people they were tricked to know.

"But, of course, we don't have to rush right away." Urahara completed his sentence, waving his fan around as he speaks. He already caught a seat in front of everyone's sitting places.

"What that's supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked. He was extremely worried about what would be the consequences of Tsukishima and his Fullbring at Soul Society. Like a little child at a candy store, what would Tsukishima do to all the shinigami he can manipulate there?

"When I noticed Kuchiki-san's reiatsu and Abarai-san's reiatsu head from Ginjo and Tsukishima's hiding place, I assumed they were under Tsukishima's influence already," He started to say.

"That still doesn't mean a single thing." Ishida said. He already took himself a seat next to Renji's bed. He was very nervous ever since he started to hear the conversation, knowing that only if he could stop Tsukishima and Ginjo when he chased after the first, the whole situation now would never exist and they never needed to face such problems.

"I was just about to say that, let me finish Ishida-san." Urahara said quietly and patiently. Ishida felt uncomfortable about cutting Urahara in the middle of a sentence, but both of them knew Ishida was just nervous.

After a moment, Urahara closed his fan, putting it in his pocket. "I thought that Ginjo and Tsukishima would try to get an easy entrance to Soul Society and rely over my unfinished gate, so I decided to teach them a lesson of some kind for underestimating me." He smiled, and showed his palm. An orb that seemed to be made of reiatsu hovered at the air above his hand, glowing in red. "This… is the reason that a gate to Soul Society takes a month to build."

"What is that?" Orihime asked, confused. She never saw such a thing in her life. She took a seat next to Rukia.

_Is that some kind of an advanced Kido or something like that? To being able to stop Urahara-san's gate? It's impossible that is just a simple orb! _

"An orb made of pure reiatsu. At the moment such a thing is inserted into the gate and the orb has enough reiatsu it would mean the gate will have problems to fulfill its goal, what it was built for." He said, smiling even a bigger smile and dismissing the orb away, making it vanish in the air.

"You can't possibly mean…!" Ishida's eyes were opened widely and smiled a twisted little smile, as he resisted the urge to start laughing out loud in joy and happiness, something that was very unlike him at all.

"Ishida, what are you talking about?" Chad asked. He took the closest seat next to Urahara.

"I mean the exact same thing, Ishida-san... Because Ginjo and his allies had quite large amounts of reiatsu the gate couldn't hold it, therefore locked them at a different dimension rather than just sending them back here or to Soul Society." Seeing the huge smiles at everyone's faces Urahara hurried to explain further. "It doesn't mean they won't get to Soul Society, but it means that we have time and we don't have to rush there to save any person we can."

Even though the big smiles disappeared, all of the peoples in the room still held a good feeling inside them, knowing that they doesn't have to rush to the battlefield again but to have time before that, calculating carefully everything.

Yes, finally there was time, for everything anyone would try to do… But one person stayed quiet the whole conversation now, thinking on how the hell would he keep a specific person alive even through the mess and the battles ahead.

"For how much time will it postpone their arrival to Soul Society?" Tensa Zangetsu suddenly asked.

"About a month… Luckily, they went into the gate a few days after I built it which means it was highly-sensitive and incapable of holding their massive reiatsu at that moment. I didn't feel any need to guard the gate only because of that reason." Urahara grinned once more.

"I see… then, that means there is more than enough time before they'll enter Soul Society for us to think about a strategy. Even though we just rushed to Soul Society when Kuchiki-san was about to be executed, I don't think such a thing will work over here… The risks are too high to be taken." Ishida said, after a long time he was thinking.

"I can't believe Ginjo, Tsukishima or the rest of Xcution would be able to defeat someone as Kyoraku-san or Yamamoto… So it can't be that bad, right?" Ichigo tried to cheer up him and the others, to no avail. No matter how hard he tried to cheer everyone up, they all had glum expressions.

"I doubt that." Rukia said quietly. Everyone turned their heads to her direction. "I mean, one moment that Tsukishima finds an opening and he can do what he wants to. In the moment he gets to stab someone the fight is over."

Everyone went silent for a few minutes. None of them wanted to admit that the situation was hopeless for them and Tsukishima, either if he does anything at the moment he got to Soul Society or not, already won. For all they know, it's possible that he already stabbed a few of the peoples in the Human World and just didn't trigger the stab yet to make him their ally.

_Will they truly be able to hold someone as powerful as dad, as an example, for more than a few hours? Someone as strong as Urahara-san? As fast as Yoruichi-san? The Human World was full of such examples. Full of extremely powerful peoples, either if they're humans, Quincy, shinigami or even Visoreds. The Human World was full of possibilities of allies for Tsukishima to pick. How could they know he didn't try to influence anyone yet?_ Ichigo thought to himself.

"S-So, in the moment Tsukishima will stab someone and he will t-turn against us… What should we d-do?" Orihime asked, her voice slightly shaking. Ichigo lifted his head in surprise, thinking that no one will speak for a few more minutes.

"I agree with Inoue. We can't use Kido like Shinigami to seal them inside a barrier and we can't just make them crash to the floor every time like what Ichigo did." Chad said.

"Well now, Inoue-san, Sado-san, I have the perfect idea for that. You see…" Urahara began to speak. He was the only one that kept being in a good mood no matter to what conclusions they got to.

_How the hell can he still be in such a good mood the whole time now? Soul Society is about to get into a big WAR! _Ichigo thought miserably.

_**Listen to Urahara-san; He got a really good idea.**_ Ichigo froze.

_Why do you call him that way? You never called anyone with honorifics._

_**It was only because of his invention, the Tenshintai [1], that I could be created. If it wasn't for him, you would take a few more couple of years before you could manifest a Bankai form. Now, leave that aside and focus at his words. **_

"… And so, by only pouring inside some reiryoku, the person, no matter if he's either a shinigami or not, is able to seal the person. It's also doesn't depend on the invention's strength but your own, which means that the more you'll pour inside reiryoku, the more it would be stronger. I'll start working on that today, I started the planning already." Urahara finished saying, and unintentionally making the hat move a little bit, revealing his eyes, and the shadows beneath them. It was clear that he hadn't slept for a few days now, working on that invention.

"That's… Brilliant." Ishida simply said. "It's just like the Quincy's Ginto [2]. You put inside spiritual energy and use it to seal or attack an enemy, depending on the situation and the type of the tube."

"Not exactly, but that's the closest thing for what I'm planning to do." Urahara smiled. "The Ginto tubes can be used by Quincy only, but I'd try to make my own available to Humans, Quincy, Shinigami or any other species. Of course Kido would be a better option, and much more comfortable one, but I suppose trying to make such things will make anyone be able to join the battle ahead. Obviously, sealing the person once you weakened him enough would be better than killing him or making him suffer in order to get his memories back like what Inoue-san, Sado-san, Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san needed to endure. Also, what I'm planning to make won't be for attack but only for sealing, for a time as long as your reiryoku allows to."

"…And then what? It's not like everyone would turn back to normal and remember everything at the moment they'll be sealed…" Chad asked. Everyone once again had glum expressions on their faces, excluding Urahara, Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu who appeared to understand everything from Ichigo's thoughts at that certain moment.

"There's another way." Ichigo said. Everyone stopped looking glum and looked at him. "I mean, besides getting normal again through flashbacks and painful headaches. Ginjo told me back when we fought on the roof of the mansion that in order to get his memories back, Tsukishima stabbed him once again. If that's so, then if we'll capture Tsukishima and order him to stab anyone he influenced with his Book of the End they will be back to normal. Tsukishima will have no choices but to undo what he did, or he'll have to bear the consequences."

"Indeed, Kurosaki-san! That was exactly what I was about to say! No need to worry about that." Urahara said cheerfully. "Good thing that you told me everything a few hours ago."

"So we will base mostly on that fact when we'll try to seal everyone who was influenced by Tsukishima's Book of the End?" Rukia asked. Both she and Renji felt much better after taking Urahara's pills for their headaches and they could think clearly.

"Yeah, that would be our best option to fight Tsukishima, Ginjo and Xcution and to stop their plan." Ichigo answered.

"Then it's settled. I'll once again open a gate to Soul Society about a month from today." Urahara once again pulled the fan out. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go get some sleep before I'll start making the special tubes."

When everyone excluding Rukia and Renji who went back to sleep stood up to get each one to his own business, Tensa Zangetsu remained sitting.

_**Ichigo.**_

Ichigo turned his head; He was about to get out of the room as rest but he froze at his spot.

_What?_ He thought instead of speaking, so he wouldn't wake Rukia and Renji who were sleeping peacefully.

_**I want to ask you something.**_

* * *

><p>"Ginjo, are you an idiot or what?" Riruka asked without any tries to be funny. It's been a few hours since they got stuck in this pitch-black void, which was as far as they knew, they are stuck here forever. The only thing they stood on was a platform made of their own reiatsu; Yukio almost fell at the moment they got there but at the last minute Ginjo saved him from falling to an endless bottom.<p>

"Riruka, it's the sixth time you're asking the same damn question. Find something else to talk about, it seems like we're going to stay here for a while." Yukio told her quietly. He was extremely tired after a few days he wasn't sleeping. And, surprisingly enough, they could see each other inside the pitch-black void.

"I'm wondering if those bastards, Kuchiki and Abarai, knew about that thing." Ginjo muttered while keeping hitting the void around them aggressively. He kept doing that ever since they got there to no avail. Using reiatsu wasn't something they all agreed not to do, since Yukio's Invaders Must Die would supply them food at the moment they went inside.

"Do you doubt my abilities, Ginjo? Believe me, Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji had no idea about that… place." Tsukishima said next to him, hitting the air like Ginjo.

"We're back." A voice of a female and a male could be heard from a distance. Everyone stopped arguing and went to talk with the two new arrivers, Jackie and Giriko.

"How did it go?" Tsukishima asked, hoping to hear a positive answer. If the peoples there didn't know him, they would say he had a hopeless expression on his face. "Found anything?"

"Not good. No matter how far we went, this place seems to be endless. No changing of backgrounds can be seen, and we've been walking for hours. Good thing that we have your Fullbring, Yukio… If we didn't have it, we would be lost. Thank you for letting us borrow it for today."

"I didn't mind letting you borrow it. You needed it more than I did in that moment." Yukio pulled a tired, half-smile on his face and took his Fullbring from Jackie, careful not to let it fall to the void below them. "So, what do you think?"

There was no need to tell Jackie about what Yukio was talking about. While all the matter of food, a place to live at and water was covered, it was obvious he was either speaking about their plans to control Soul Society or their plans to get out of there. She decided to answer the second meaning, as she got an idea while she was out with Giriko.

"We won't get out of here for a while, that's for sure… But, I doubt that place can hold reiatsu so much as we can emit." Jackie smiled.

"That's a great idea!" Giriko exclaimed.

"I suppose giving that a try wouldn't be a problem." Yukio shrugged. All the Xcution released their reiatsu to the air of the void. A minute passed, two minutes passed, ten minutes passed… Nothing happened.

Ginjo cursed. "We won't get out of here alive."

"Losing your confidence so quickly?" Tsukishima teased Ginjo. "That's so much unlike you."

Ginjo shrugged. "I'm NOT losing my confidence. It's just that this place is so annoying I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"... Which is like running away? Yes, it has nothing to do with your confidence… right, Ginjo?" Tsukishima smirked.

"Oh, shut up already." Ginjo rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>What's that?<em> Ichigo asked.

_**I thought… We should utilize this opportunity. Ichigo… Would you like me to train you during this month?**_

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Tenshintai – Its meaning in English is Change [Death] God Body. It's that doll Yoruichi made Ichigo to use during his Bankai training… You know, that he stabbed it and Zangetsu materialized?<strong>

**[2] Ginto- Its meaning in English is Silver Tubes. It stored spiritual energy in liquid form and its ability is using all sorts of sealing, defense and attacks at the enemy with no use of the bow. Ishida used it a few times at his battle with a hollow when his father eventually came to kill. (While Isshin fought Grand Fisher)**

***Sigh* and so, another chapter finishes. I can't bring myself to realize that I actually made 5 chapters… **

**How was it? How was the chapter? Was it good? Was it bad?**

**The pace, just like I wrote at the beginning of the chapter, was supposed to be noticeably slower here… How did that go? **

**Please write me a review with your feelings and predictions of the next one, which will come very soon! :D**

**I'm so proud of myself; I just broke my record of the shortest time to write a chapter... TWO DAYS OF WRITING! Whoohoo! **

**Just remember… No flames! That's my first fanfic! **


	6. CROSSING SWORDS

**I know I wrote that before, but… WOW.**

**I mean, at first the 5****th**** chapter didn't get so many reviews, but now it has FIVE REVIEWS****. I thank everyone that reviewed, and I hope you'll review this chapter as well.**

**And should I even start talking about the favorites, story alerts and the rest of the things that makes me thank the moment I decided to start writing this fanfiction? :D **

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, then I probably won't be able to write poets even half as good as Kubo's volume poets. Read them, it's amazing how good they are! **

**Well, after the regular stuff are done, let's get to the new chapter, chapter 6! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 6: CROSSING SWORDS**

Ishida walked down the street, heading to Urahara's Shop. He held in his hand a small bag with a sunflower drawing on it and the words **Sunflower tailor **was written. Even though normal people would have presumed he was back from that shop, Ishida's small bag contained Ginto tubes Urahara asked him to bring. Urahara also told him he would like to examine those in order to check how the tubes he was trying to make should be built like and from what ingredients.

_I'm glad I could help Urahara-san… It's my fault._

_If I only kept looking at Tsukishima yet not being distracted… I could stop them. _

_I couldn't even draw Ginrei Kojaku… I couldn't show them how powerful I am._

_Why isn't anyone blaming me for that?_

_I'm sure, one hit from Seele Schneider and they would be dead. _

_Why couldn't I focus? _

Suddenly, Ishida stopped, sweating and breathing heavily. He did his best not to fall to his knees or run away from there. It seemed like two huge amounts of reiatsu was ahead of him, clashing at full power. He raised his head, only to see that he already got to the Urahara Shop's entrance.

_Damn it, I was caught off-guard… What the hell is happening? _He thought as he calmed down himself. Then, he noticed another odd thing.

_I-It doesn't come from the shop itself… It comes from… The ground? Urahara's underground training place? _

Ishida stared at the ground for a few moments.

"Ishida-san? Are you okay?"

He raised his head. Ururu, one of the workers at the Urahara Shop, was standing in front of him with a broom at her hands, dressed in a school uniform. It seemed like she was at the middle of cleaning the entrance to the shop when she noticed him .

"Ururu-san… What's happening in there?" He asked, trying to hide his fear.

"Kurosaki-san is training." She simply said before getting back to sweeping the entrance of the shop. Ishida went inside the shop without asking any other questions.

* * *

><p>"Oi, Renji! Are you still down here?" Rukia called as she went down to the Urahara Shop's training ground. Now, a day after she woke up at the Urahara Shop and took Urahara's pills when she needed to, she felt surprisingly good enough to walk and do whatever she wanted to do, like that battle against Ichigo never happened.<p>

When she heard no answer she quickly searched for Renji, finding him on one of the fake hills Urahara put at the training ground._ No wonder I couldn't see him,_ she thought._ This hill is completely hidden by the big mountain over here._

He was looking at Ichigo's training in quite an interest; His eyes were wide open with amazement and joy. Rukia looked to where Renji was looking; Ichigo was clearly pushed to his limits, but somehow he kept grinning happily and trying to hit his Zanpakuto Spirit, giving everything he has for that training.

"What are you doing? You were supposed to get your bandana and get back to the shop!" She said after staring at the battle for a few minutes.

Renji blinked. "I only been here for-"

"You were here for an hour!" She said loudly, cutting Renji at the middle of his sentence.

He seemed surprised. "R-Really?" He looked at the ragged, black bandana he had in his hand. "I just couldn't help it; Ichigo's training is so interesting… I learned so many new moves I just can't wait to try at a real battle…"

Rukia looked at Ichigo again. Then, without saying a word, she sat next to Renji with her eyes wide open just like his.

Ichigo was attacking Tensa Zangetsu from behind just as they spoke, and at the last second he blocked it with his own sword, sending Ichigo a few meters towards the ground below them.

* * *

><p>Ichigo couldn't take off his smile; that training sure was fun.<p>

Even though he once or twice was able to attack him, he still had no chance. He couldn't cut him, but that was okay for both of them. Even though Ichigo couldn't cut Tensa Zangetsu, he didn't go easy on Ichigo.

So, why did Ichigo keep smiling?

He learned.

He enjoyed the battle-like training not because he won – He wasn't, and probably never will – But because he learned.

He could tell Tensa Zangetsu was going easy on him, which caused him some uneasiness, but he knew he had no choice. Ichigo would have been dead in no time if Tensa Zangetsu went all out against him… And merged with the hollow? Not a single remaining of Ichigo would've remained if that was the situation.

The only reason he could attack the person he faced was because he learned some of his attacks. Both of them wasn't surprised by that, because both of them knew Ichigo's advanced growth rate, but they still enjoyed the battle…

Even though Tensa Zangetsu won't show it as wildly as Ichigo did, he still smiled a little smile. It only been a few hours since they began training, but Ichigo's learning pace was as quick as ever.

He dodged Ichigo's attack by jumping above his head and kicking him from there. Ichigo smirked as he blocked the attack with his sword and made Tensa Zangetsu Shunpo from there quickly before Ichigo would attack him after seizing the opening Tensa Zangetsu caused himself.

Both the effects of the time flow after Ichigo lost his powers and the 17 months of being a normal human made their effects on Ichigo's body; he was neither as powerful as he used to be or as fast as he used to be. Ichigo knew that he would need this training in the future.

He was so glad Tensa Zangetsu offered to train him.

* * *

><p>(A day ago)<p>

_**Ichigo.**_

Ichigo turned his head; He was about to get out of the room as rest of the peoples but he froze at his spot as soon as he heard that voice.

_What?_ He thought instead of speaking, so he wouldn't wake Rukia and Renji who were sleeping so peacefully next to them.

_**I want to ask you something.**_

_What's that?_ Ichigo asked curious.

_**I thought… We should utilize this opportunity. Ichigo… Would you like me to train you during this month?**_

Ichigo remained at his place, surprised by the suggestion. He knew why he offered him that, and he shouldn't lose such an opportunity to get stronger again.

_I'll go ask Urahara-san for lending us the training ground. _Ichigo thought as he went to look for Urahara before he'll be able to sleep.

Luckily, Urahara couldn't help it and he was sitting next to a table, writing blueprints for how would his tubes look like and be like. "Ah, it's no use. Too much information is missing." He sighed. "Good thing that I asked Ishida-san to bring some of his Quincy Ginto tomorrow…" He muttered to himself with a quiet, tired voice.

"Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked from the door after noticing that Urahara isn't asleep yet. "Will the training ground under your shop be empty tomorrow? I'd like to use it…"

"S-Sure." Urahara said while looking at his calculations and at the blueprints. He sighed while putting those aside. He rubbed his eyes.

"Thanks." Ichigo said before leaving the room.

"You're welcome." He said tiredly before getting into his bed, putting his hat on the table next to the blueprints.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Kuchiki-san, Renji-san?" Ishida's voice could've been heard, but weak because of the noise of the clashing swords a few meters above him. "Are you in here?" He said after getting down from the ladder.<p>

He looked around. Sensing would be useless with Ichigo's training here, so that option wasn't so good. "Hello?" He yelled.

"Damn it, Ishida… Shut the hell up already!" Ichigo yelled. Unfortunately, he looked at Ishida's direction rather than focusing his training, so Tensa Zangetsu seized the opening and tried to hit Ichigo, aiming to his neck. "Hey, I was talking to him!" Ichigo said loudly to Tensa Zangetsu, surprised by the sudden attack of the Zanpakuto Spirit.

"Then don't." He shrugged and continued to attack him, without letting him even one moment to rest.

"Oi, Ishida! We're over here!" Renji called after a moment.

Ishida noticed the direction of Renji's voice and ran to them. "What are you doing down here?"

"Watching Ichigo's training. It's fun to count how many times he almost gets killed by the hands of a part of himself." Renji said in a teasing voice.

"Screw you, Renji!" Ichigo yelled while blocking an attack from Tensa Zangetsu.

Rukia laughed at Ichigo's comment. "We're pretty much bored, so we figured being down here and at least learning some moves would be nice."

"Is that so? Urahara-san told me to see what you are doing; the two of you are here for more than two hours…" He said while cleaning his glasses from the dust. "Well, I'm bored too. I suppose I shall seat here as well."

Tensa Zangetsu knocked Ichigo once again so powerfully Ichigo ended up crashing on the ground from the power of the attack.

"Oh, what do you know? That's the fifth time already." Renji grinned.

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo yelled at him once again.

Ishida, Rukia and Renji laughed.

Suddenly, Tensa Zangetsu vanished from their sight. Even Ichigo was surprised, which seemed almost impossible.

Almost at the same time, he appeared in front of Renji.

"Let's see what you can do." He said quietly yet everyone could hear, annoyed by the mocking even though it was aimed to Ichigo and not aimed to him.

Renji grinned. "More than Ichigo, that's for sure." He drew his sword.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

* * *

><p>It's been already half an hour, but Renji refused to release his Bankai.<p>

Ichigo already took his seat next to Rukia and Ishida on that hill, but he was too tired to be focused at the battle, so he tried to sleep to no avail. Every five minutes Renji could have been heard screaming. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Ichigo sighed after he woke up after the third time he heard Renji screaming.

"So… What's happening now?" He asked with his eyes closed.

"Renji is about to either cy or run away from there." Rukia said amused.

Ichigo was surprised. "Really? That doesn't sound like something he would do…"

"No. He'll probably release his Bankai now. Kuchiki-san lied to you." Ishida said.

"Aww, couldn't you just play along?" She said annoyed.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. Renji kept trying to find openings but it was obvious he hadn't succeeded yet doing so. The first thing that he realized only from a few seconds of watching them was the realization that Tensa Zangetsu went easy on Renji just the way he went easy on Ichigo while they trained, but Renji was too concentrated at the battle he had against him to notice so.

He tried to hit him once again with the extended Zabimaru. While Tensa Zangetsu tried to dodge, he realized Renji didn't aim to him.

"Bankai! Hihio Zabimaru!" Without wasting a single moment, he dashed to him and tried to hit him. Tensa Zangetsu used Shunpo to avoid getting hit.

"Oh, I see. He tried to surprise him and to create an opening by himself." Rukia mused. "Not that it worked."

Tensa Zangetsu suddenly stopped, letting Renji's giant snake made of bones coming at him. When it was close enough, Ichigo noticed he was doing the same thing he did at the battle against Byakuya to cut all of the flower petals, swinging the sword around so quickly his hand became blurred.

Renji smiled, as the separated parts of his Bankai flew to many directions from the power of Tensa Zangetsu's hit. Suddenly, they flew in the air, circling Tensa Zangetsu and forming ropes-like reiatsu around him in order to bind him.

Tensa Zangetsu smiled a small smile. In a single blast of black with a blue outline reiatsu [1] all the parts flew away, landing without forming once again. Renji sweated.

_He went easy on me all along. Zabimaru was right… I never should've attack him. _

_Not only because he's Ichigo's Zanpakuto Spirit, but also because his level is higher than my own right now._

"Oi, Renji!" Ichigo yelled at him after he was smashed to the ground. "What did you say about almost getting killed…?"

"Shut it, Ichigo." Renji gave him a death glare. "I'm not done yet."

Ichigo shrugged, smirking. "I'm going to call Inoue. You know, just in case your injuries will be too much for you to bear."

Renji didn't say anything. Ichigo laughed and went to the store above to use the phone.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Renji-saaan? Are you in here?" Orihime called loudly. Both she and Ichigo were already back, after a few minutes since Ichigo went to call her. She was dressed at the uniform of her job, and it seemed like Ichigo made her run from there at the middle of working.<p>

Renji was back laying on the hill of Ishida's and Rukia's, with a very annoyed expression on his face. His eyes were closed.

"We had to stop. I believe he had exaggerated the reiatsu amounts he used so he lost his consciousness." Tensa Zangetsu shrugged. He was sitting next to the laying Renji.

Orihime rushed to Renji, releasing her Soten Kisshun [2] on her way, but to no avail. Aside of Renji's little wounds, there was nothing for her to heal.

Renji opened his eyes. "W-What happened?" He pulled himself to seating state and looked at Orihime who was in front of him. "Tch, that bastard Ichigo…"

"You lost your consciousness. Why are you so annoyed Ichigo called Orihime to help you?" Rukia asked.

Renji didn't answer.

"Well, then I guess I shall go back to train…" Ichigo shrugged.

Tensa Zangetsu stood up. "Yes."

* * *

><p>"And it's the same story again…" Rukia sighed. All of them were back looking at Ichigo who was training for another hour now. "What's the time now, anyway? The sky here is the same for the whole time now."<p>

"The ceiling is painted, Rukia." Renji was sitting again, but he spoke in a very weak voice.

"You didn't know that?" Ishida asked.

"How could I know…?" She shrugged. "Well, I'm off."

"Where are you going to sleep?" Renji asked.

"Obviously, the same place I always sleep at every time I'm in the Human World and that would be Ichigo's closet. What can I say; I just got used to sleep in there, it's comfortable…" She grinned.

Ichigo didn't answer, even though he heard her answer.

_Just like the good old days, huh? _

_She sleeps at my closet and getting orders from Soul Society to exterminate hollows._

_I missed that._

"Oh. I guess that I'm off as well. It seems like it's already past 23:00…" Orihime said after looking at her cell phone. "Bye bye!"

Renji and Ishida left with her, leaving Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu alone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Then, I suppose we shall call it a day. You're already tired; if we won't stop you'll eventually end up killing yourself. <strong>_Tensa Zangetsu stood up.

_I agree… I can tell my moves aren't as powerful as they used to be at the beginning of the day. But now that I think about it, where do you sleep?_

_**I discovered something interesting last night. It seems like when you're asleep I'm able to get back to your inner world, but when you wake up I get thrown away from there, finding myself on the floor of your room.**_

Ichigo was surprised. _Do you have any idea why? It seems pretty odd._

He shrugged. _**It seems as if only your consciousness was the one to reject me. So, while you're asleep, it isn't the one in control, but your sub consciousness instead. Also, luckily, your inner world looks half-destroyed. But at least it's not underwater like it used to be.**_

Ichigo chuckled. _How exactly is that 'lucky'? If it's half-destroyed yet not underwater then It's still not completely whole._

_**When I woke up in there while you fought Tsukishima Shukuro and Ginjo Kugo it was destroyed completely. It looked at the same way it looked like when you went under hollowification, but rather building itself up than destroying itself. The cubes of the skyscrapers were forming into new skyscrapers and fixing the old ones. Nevertheless, it was raining heavily. It's been a while since it rained as heavily as it did back then, when you fought Ichimaru Gin… And this time, it had nothing to do with the hollow… When I checked yesterday night, he was still asleep.**_

Both he and Ichigo left the training ground after he finished talking.

The first day of Ichigo's training was over.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Ichigo's Bankai reiatsu was originally black with a blue outline without using his hollow's power, as it could have been seen in episode 59 of the anime. Now that the hollow is asleep and neither of them can use its power, the reiatsu both of them will emit on Bankai will be that and not black with a red outline like Ichigo emits during using hollowification or in simply in Bankai after taking his hollow under control while being with the Visoreds. (Yeah, I know I usually trust the manga rather than the anime, so let me tell you that I remember seeing a color page that shows that Ichigo did it, but I just can't find it.)<strong>

**[2] Soten Kisshun – Orihime's healing move of her Shun Shun Rikka that includes Ayame and Shun'o.**

**Well, how was that chapter? **

**I focused on Tensa Zangetsu much more in this chapter, didn't I? You liked it?**

**How was the pace in this chapter? I thought doing a chapter only on "One day from Ichigo's random training" would be nice.**

**Please tell me all of those things in a review! Please, I really enjoy the reviews I get! :D**


	7. School Daze! ! !

**Soooo… Yeah. Another chapter is out.**

**Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts… Those are well appreciated. (Seriously, does anyone actually read my notes? If you do, look for the disclaimer – I always spend time at trying to make it interesting by changing the reason in every chapter.)**

**Let's aim for more than 35 reviews in this chapter. I'm sure you can do it :D**

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold, that I'd mix with Italic font to separate it from my explanations at the beginning and the ending of each chapter.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future. If it was yaoi, then I wouldn't write this sentence every chapter plus it wouldn't be written at the summary as well. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo. **

** If it did belong to me, I'd be screaming in joy (Not that I'm not as a huge Bleach fan…) – Bleach was ranked 2****nd**** on the latest Weekly Shonen Jump (One Piece was absent.) So full of joy I am… I still remember two months ago how low it was on the ranking.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 7: School Daze! ! !**

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was checking his files nonchalantly, trying to locate two specific peoples who made the whole Seiretei a huge headache for the last couple of days - Tsukishima Shukuro and Ginjo Kugo. A single hell butterfly flew around him for a few minutes now, but Mayuri was too concentrated to listen to it. A fine specimen as him shouldn't bother himself with such a foolish things as messages. If he didn't do anything while Aizen betrayed Soul Society he won't do anything now either.

"Mayuri-sama…" Nemu's voice was heard. She entered the room in slowly, carefully steps, a hell butterfly on her hand.

"Is that you Nemu? What is it?" Said Mayuri while looking at the files he held, not even bothering to look at her. "If that's not important then don't bother me."

"It seems like a message from Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji got to Seiretei, and it was sent to all of the captains and the vice-captains. They say they were manipulated by one of Kugo Ginjo's comrade's Fullbring which changes history to attack your own comrades, and Urahara Kisuke sealed Ginjo Kugo and his comrades in a different dimension because of the fact that they had entered his gate to Soul Society while it was highly-sensitive, which caused problems as soon as they had entered there with their relatively large amounts of reiatsu."

Mayuri looked terrified and angered. A different light shone in his golden eyes, as if he seemed to realize something. "WHAT THE HELL? THAT BASTARD URAHARA KISUKE IS STILL ALIVE?" He yelled loudly.

Nemu looked confused. "You talked to him a few weeks ago, Mayuri-sama… You were glad that he was no longer counted as a threat to Soul Society and you wanted him to update you about what he had achieved and discovered during this century so you came to his shop to see his inventions after what he had told you…"

"You foolish girl! I was talking to someone else back then, no to that idiot!" He yelled, almost ripping the files apart as he held them too tight.

"B-But… Mayuri-sama… I-I was there when you talked to him…" She said, her voice slightly shaking in worry and fear. After a moment, she seemed to realize something. "I-Impossible… Back then…? Can it be real?"

"What are you talking about, you scum?" His voice now could've been heard all around the 12th division's labs.

"Mayuri-sama… Who did you meet back then?"

"An old friend of mine… You wouldn't know him, the stupid girl you are. His name is Tsukishima Shukuro. He was the one to release me out of the Nest of Maggots, you know…" He stopped for a second. "Yet, you shall be punished for saying such useless lies. I have nothing to do with that bastard Urahara, nor do I hope I'll ever will." He spat on the floor of the lab, and then stabbed Nemu with his sealed Zanpakuto, paying no attention to her scream of pain.

"I'll come in an hour to heal you. Think carefully about what you've done until then." He went through the other entrance to the hall, throwing the files on his way.

* * *

><p>Rin and Akon were terrified. When they saw Nemu running like that they immediately rushed after her to see what was wrong, but when they noticed she was talking to her father they had decided not to intervene between them, thinking that would lead to problems only.<p>

They, like anyone in Seiretei and even some peoples in Rukongai, heard about the rumors of the former substitute shinigami and his comrades; the rumors spread all around Seiretei in a single day.

_The way it seemed like now, _they thought, _their captain was stabbed by one of Ginjo's comrades._

_Troubles are ahead._

They decided to split up – One of them shall go to the 1st division's buildings and the other to the 4th division's infirmary to get Nemu to be healed.

They didn't say a single word, running as if their lives were about to end, Akon carrying Nemu as the other one couldn't handle such weight and Rin runs terrified, as fast as he could to the 1st division barracks, forgetting that the chocolate bars he got from Kusajishi-fukutaicho left completely visible on his desk.

* * *

><p>Ichigo was alone right now. He woke up and didn't find Tensa Zangetsu or Rukia anywhere.<p>

He couldn't say he was disturbed, knowing that Tensa Zangetsu is more than okay to be left alone as he will be able to take care of everything, no matter how strong he is or even if the person he faces is a shinigami or a human.

Rukia is also capable of handling any kind of troubles that will approach her, so Ichigo wasn't worried about her as well.

But, no matter how hard he tried, Ichigo still felt uneasiness anyway, hoping nothing bad happened to either Rukia or him.

_Uh… I wonder where he is. _Ichigo finally forced himself to think after a while he made himself not to.

_**I'm over here.**_

Ichigo turned his head but saw nothing but random students he didn't know when he noticed someone he do know.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said happily, waving to him. She was a few meters away from him, holding her cell phone in her left hand and waving with her right one. "Just hold on a second, I need to talk to Tatsuki-chan."

He waved her and walked slowly towards her, letting her finish her conversation with Tatsuki first. He heard Tensa Zangetsu's voice chuckle. _**I didn't mean it that way. I'm not outside.**_

_What?_

A picture of a side-way world that contained tall, bright-blue buildings appeared in his mind. He saw two peoples in there – One seemed to be unconscious on the floor and Ichigo automatically recognized him to be his inner hollow while another one stood in his place as if he was a statue – A young man with long, black hair and blue eyes was standing on a flagpole and looking at Ichigo. The sky in that blue, bright world were as natural in its color as it always is whenever Ichigo came there – Blue and bright, but some gray clouds could've been seen in the distance because of Ichigo's worry, but it didn't seem like it was going to rain.

_How are you still inside? You told-_

_**I know what I told you, and I wasn't lying. **_

_**I have no idea why is it that way, but let's see how long-**_

Without being able to finish his sentence, he suddenly fell on the floor next to Ichigo and the Image Ichigo had seen faded away. Luckily, no one saw that with the exception of Orihime Inoue.

He chuckled once more. "…It would hold." He finished his sentence. He rubbed his shaggy, black hair in the spot that hit the floor and stood up after a few moments, brushing the dust that accumulated on his uniform with quick moves of his hands.

Orihime looked surprised. "A-Are you okay, Tensa Zangetsu-kun?"

He was surprised by the using of the honorifics and the fact that she was the first to call him using his name, but said nothing about it nor showed he was surprised by that. "Y-Yes, I'm fine…"

"Aww…" Renji said in a teasing voice behind Orihime, scaring everyone.

"Whaaa! A-Abarai-kun! You scared me!" She said surprised once she turned to him. He was with the same old white bandana tied to his head, using one of Urahara's Gigai for other people to be able to see him.

"Where's Rukia? I woke up this morning and didn't see her." Ichigo asked.

Renji shrugged, putting his hands inside his uniform's pockets. "She went to the Urahara Shop to send a message to Soul Society using a Hell Butterfly about what happened with Tsukishima and Ginjo; she'll come as soon she'll finish."

"Eh, so how did you know she came there?" Orihime asked him with an obvious confused emotion on her face.

"I'm sleeping there while I'm in the Human World. I saw her entering the shop when I just woke up this morning and asked her what she's trying to do." He answered her.

"Oh, so that's why. What about Urahara-san? How is he doing with his invention?" Ichigo asked.

"He's doing well. He told me to say to you that he is willing you all to come to his shop to check the progressing and to see what he did by now after school." Everyone turned their heads only to see that was Ishida Uryu who spoke, holding his cell phone in his right hand. "I called him to ask, because I wanted to know when I can pick up the Ginto he asked me to bring him."

"Ishida… I was wrong." Ichigo said with a smirk. "Apparently, you CAN use like a normal one." [1]

Ishida kicked Ichigo's head while watching carefully that his glasses won't fall off.

"Wha - WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, ISHIDA!" Ichigo yelled, rubbing his orange-colored hair where he suffered the hit. The place itself there was sore. He was unprepared for the attack so badly he found himself on the floor of the hall, curious students other than Orihime, Ishida, Tensa Zangetsu and Renji were looking at him. Ichigo could've sworn he saw Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro looking from the side and forcing themselves not to laugh at the poor guy who just got beaten up in one kick.

"Shut up." Ishida said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"BUT-" Before Ichigo could finish his sentence, the bell rang. He cursed and went to class.

* * *

><p>"Ne, sensei… Will we get our tests soon?" Keigo asked, putting his arms behind his head and leaning on his chair.<p>

Ochi looked at him, seems to be surprised by the question. "You shall all see the grades of your tests in a day or so from now. Why?"

Keigo shrugged. "I was just curious. I can't wait to see how much I got!" He ended his sentence with a huge smile on his face, throwing confetti everywhere. He looked like he was forcing himself not to go and leap around the room in joy. Finally, one test that he succeeded. He'll show Ichigo he can get great grades if he just wants to.

"You shouldn't be." Ichigo snickered at that answer of the teacher Ochi, much like many other students of the class. Even Ishida was hiding a small smile with his hand, pretending that he had to sneeze. Keigo had fake, comic tears coming from his eyes, making sounds of crying that didn't fool anyone, including the teacher herself.

"And now… Class dismissed." She said. "Don't forget to copy the homework I gave you to your notebooks."

All of the class went to the roof, or to walk outside the buildings - It was a sunny day and they wanted to enjoy it as much as they could. Keigo was still crying, making Mizuiro run away from him looking for a random girl to spend the break with.

Ichigo yawned. Tensa Zangetsu was correct – even though he didn't feel it yesterday, today he couldn't ignore the fact that he needed more sleep time than he slept. He was extremely tired, to the level he was sure he will crash on the floor at every second now.

We're not training today." He said to him after noticing his thoughts."

"W-Why?" Ichigo forced himself not to yawn once again.

"You won't be able to fight properly. And besides, you need to go to the Urahara Shop later to check on the invention."

"I-I'm p-perfectly f-f-f-fine!" Ichigo said. He seemed like he was about to crash.

Tensa Zangetsu blinked. "Obviously, the training yesterday made you much more tired than I thought you will be… It's probably because of the fact that it's been a while since you spent so much reiatsu at once, but also the fact you didn't sleep helped as well." He took Ichigo's notebook and copied for him the homework Ochi gave. Ichigo didn't even notice she gave those.

Ichigo grunted. He enjoyed those trainings. He was too rusty right now, after 17 months he wasn't in a real battle. He needed to be in his full power for the upcoming events at Soul Society, where everyone he knows can become enemies… People he knows, people he respects… Everyone.

They all can end up as mere pawns of Tsukishima Shukuro.

Ichigo cursed.

"It doesn't mean we'll stop training, you know. It's just for today for you to recover your lost reiatsu." Tensa Zangetsu went near the closest window to see what's happening outside. "Ichigo, come to see that."

* * *

><p>A happy Kuchiki Rukia was now leaping around the school, throwing flowers she picked on her way on every kid she found, which included Obuta [2] who came for a second round against Ichigo, this time alone.<p>

"That was my favorite outfit!" He yelled and tried to punch her, knuckles on his hands. She blocked his hand with a single hand, throwing him on the ground. All of that was without looking at him even once.

"What the hell? Is that Chappy[3]?" Ichigo asked quietly, but in a surprised voice. Tensa Zangetsu shrugged.

"You asked something, pyon?" She said smiling.

"You know where can I find a person named Kurosaki Ichigo? I came to kill him." He said after he stood up, holding her by the collar of her uniform's shirt.

She kicked him in the head. "No, no, no! You can't kill him, pyon!" He fell on the ground in a loud noise. "Rukia-sama wouldn't be happy if he's dead, you know… pyon!" She started to run towards the building where was the class Ichigo studied at.

"Lalalala~" She sang as she kept throwing flowers around. Surprisingly, she got to Ichigo's class pretty quick, dragging behind her a few peoples Ichigo recognized as Ishida, Orihime, Chad and Renji.

"What the hell just happened?" Ishida asked, still holding his lunch box. It was half-empty, and all the rest of the food was thrown all around the hall while she took him.

"Rukia-sama asked me to tell you all something, pyon! She won't come today so kindly she took me out and told me to find you all, pyon!"

Suddenly, the real Rukia jumped to the room through the window Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu were looking through to look at Chappy when she fought Obuta.

"Bad news. It seems like Mayuri was influenced by Tsukishima's Book of the End." She said darkly. She wore her shinigami uniform; her vice-captain badge was clearly visible to all.

"What the hell? How is that possible?" Ichigo asked.

She shrugged. "They don't know all the details. It seems like when he came to the Urahara Shop a few weeks ago to talk to Urahara Tsukishima stabbed Mayuri while he didn't notice."

"So… What did they do to him?" Ishida asked. He didn't really care about Mayuri being the enemy – He hated him. He just hoped he wasn't running free, killing innocent shinigami and souls.

"The Gotei 13…" She sighed for a long moment. "They haven't found him yet."

"What?" Orihime asked shocked.

"The last time anyone saw him it was Hiyotsu, and all what Mayuri said to him before stabbing him and letting him bleed freely was that he's looking for Tsukishima. The person to tell Yamamoto about Mayuri and what he did to both Hiyotsu and his lieutenant was Rin Tsubokura who accidently saw both the stabbings in first-hand."

All the people in the room were completely terrified.

"So what is the Gotei 13 doing right now?" Tensa Zangetsu asked quietly.

"They're doing their best to find and put him in some kind of a prison, but Mayuri is a master of two things." She held two fingers in the air. "The first one is disguise, and the second one is Kido. It can take a while before they'll capture him."

Ishida remembered the way Mayuri was completely hidden in the wall, and then the way he turned into liquid and couldn't be hit. He cursed, and knew Orihime was remembering the same incident of his disguise as part of the wall because of her expression.

_This can't end well. _

_It will take at least two lieutenants or one captain in order to take him down. Even I couldn't defeat him without removing my glove. _Ishida thought sadly.

"Have you told them about the two ways to make him be normal?" Ichigo said and then corrected himself after realizing something. "I'm sorry, not normal – The way he used to be before he was influenced."

"Yes, but they do not wish for him to suffer pain. After all, he's a captain of the Gotei 13. Right now they prefer the second option – Finding Tsukishima, taking his sword and stabbing Mayuri with it in order for him to be normal again. In the meanwhile Nemu, his daughter, will take care of everything until he'll be back. Unohana-taicho said she will be healed in about a day… Because she's not a regular shinigami her healing rate is faster."

"Where will they put him?" Ichigo asked.

"Nest of Maggots, one of the best places to put such a genius as him without causing him to being able to break out of there. He shall be locked in there until Tsukishima Shukuro will free him from his Fullbring's influence under the orders of the Gotei 13."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] This is a reference of chapter 426 – After Ishida showed Ichigo the phone he got from Urahara, saying that "Urahara-san gave it to me when I helped out at his shop." Ichigo told Ishida something similar. "Then you probably can't even use it like a normal one." (Translation taken from Ju-Ni, and of course that I don't own it.)<strong>

**[2] Obuta – The person Ishida and Ichigo were fighting against at the same chapter (426). (And no, I don't mean Yokochini that fought also against Chad, I mean the one with the glasses that they kicked three of his teethes.)**

**[3] Chappy – Rukia used that kind of a Gikongan, Soul Candy, when she fought against Di Roy Rinker. It finishes every sentence with the word 'Pyon'.**

**And so, another chapter ends...**

**Hope it answered some of your questions… I think it did, anyway.**

** Wow, I got to 7 chapters already? It's so weird. I thought I'll quit after the first three, but look! I'm still here! I haven't lost my interest! :D **

**Please review or I'll seriously lose my motivation to write those chapters! (I mean it.)**


	8. Whose Side Are We On

**EIGHT REVIEWS! And only for the most recent chapter!**

**Well done, you guys. I knew you could cross the 35 reviews line, and you did! :D**

**Soooo… Another chapter is up. Sorry for the kind of late update (The last time I've updated was in the 10.1, does that count as late?), but I had something many authors would like to call "Writer's Block".**

** I needed a few days to free myself out of it, so enjoy the chapter. It took me lots of work to get it right, so appreciate it well.**

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold mixed with italic font.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future. If it was yaoi, then I wouldn't write this sentence every chapter and it wouldn't be written at the summary as well. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, then I would make Ichigo do Jinzen as frequently as Hitsugaya and the rest of the shinigami that came to the human world did it. It's so unfair.**

**Though, I can understand Ichigo's reasons disagreeing to be in one place with his inner hollow… I would run from there as if I saw Kenpachi, only that this case is far worse. (At least against Kenpachi you can bribe Yachiru with enough candies to make her tell him to stop. I don't think a candy bribe will work against an insane hollow.)**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 8: Whose Side are We On**

Kurotsuchi Nemu sweated as she slept at the infirmary of the 4th division. She couldn't escape the nightmares that haunted her as she slept in the bed, staying in a room all alone.

Her dad, the person who created her, ran away looking for a person he never knew. She heard that on a conversation last night between two nurses. The rumors about him, as one nurse told the other while she thought Nemu and the other patients were asleep, spread all around Seiretei during yesterday. The pictures of her being carried by Akon and of Rin knocking terrified on the captain-commander's door pleading Yamamoto to let him in were in the Seiretei Communication, and the copies were selling like crazy because of the high demand of the fresh, interesting news about the 12th division captain.

She woke up, struggling to get herself to sit properly. The first thing she did was to check the hour by looking out of the window. It seemed like it was the middle of the night. After looking around her and noticing no nurse was around, she started rising slowly from her bed, ignoring the pain it caused and started running away from the dark and depressing room, wearing a white kimono of patients and barefoot. She didn't care. She knew she must get to her father's side; never mind what he was influenced to think about. He was the one to create her. She won't leave his side even if he's not like he used to be. She never left him alone, as she respected him more than any other shinigami ever did.

She was already out of the 4th division's barracks, holding her sword and her lieutenant badge of the 12th Division in one hand and a normal shinigami uniform and sandals in the other. She ran without looking back, searching for her dad and her dad only. She knew she couldn't hold much longer without being tended to, but nothing else but finding her captain mattered for her. She was running directly to the 12th Division Barracks, looking for anything that would help her father getting back to normal.

Suddenly, she stopped, halfway to the barracks of her division. The reiatsu of the person that made her stop was obvious enough for her not to bother turning to face the person. Even though she knew she wouldn't be able to run as she pleases now, her face was emotionless.

"Isn't that too early for you to leave, Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho?" The person said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Oh my, I wonder what all of you are doing here!" Urahara said with a wide smile, once again pulling his fan out and waving with it to the group of the peoples that headed to his shop. They all had noticed that Jinta was playing with some of his friends outside with a soccer ball, a few drops of sweat visible on his forehead. What they had failed to notice was that Ururu and Tessai were standing a few meters from Jinta, and Ururu was touching her hair as if to remind Jinta what would happen if he'll kick someone too hard again. [1]<p>

"… You asked us to come to try your newest invention, so we came. Oh, and also we want to ask you something." Rukia said. She was back at her Gigai for a while now, but didn't try to even go to classes.

"And what do you want to ask about?" He asked, his smile getting a little bit smaller because of his concern. "Does it have anything to do with why you ran away from my shop after getting a message and didn't agree to tell me what happened?"

"Y-Yes, it has." Rukia took a large breathe to calm herself. "Kurotsuchi-taicho ran away from his barracks last night, telling his underlings that he must look for Tsukishima, stabbing both his lieutenant Nemu and his underling Hiyotsu on his way. As for now, the Gotei 13 hasn't found him yet. When they will, they shall put him in the Nest of Maggots until Tsukishima will make him back to the way he used to be."

Urahara was utterly terrified. For the first time, Ichigo saw him completely surprised like he never looked like before. Urahara Kisuke was wordless, couldn't let a normal sentence come from his mouth. "I-Impossible… How could he possibly-" He stopped talking, seems to realize something. When Ishida noticed he won't speak, he started talking instead.

"Tsukishima's power needs one hit to be able to influence the person. I suppose that even if he was injured, it makes sense he was able inflict one hit on Kurotsuchi." Tensa Zangetsu said quietly, but everyone could hear perfectly. "One hit is all what he needs to control a person."

Urahara was quiet for a few moments, collecting his thoughts properly. The fact that even Mayuri-san was influenced means that they would be lucky if no other captain or lieutenant was influenced as well while being at the Human World, even for a few moments.

"Mayuri-san…" Everyone turned their heads to Urahara. "He came for a visit a few weeks ago. He wanted to check what have I achieved during my century of being at the Human World, and because what I've described interested him he decided to come, see and check my inventions by himself, accompanied by his vice-captain, Nemu. While he was checking my Portable Gigai outside Kurosaki-san's sister came to buy things from my shop and Nemu was doing lists with information about my inventions for the 12th Division's labs at the basement of the shop, which left him alone, walking around the Human World and looking for a quiet place to check the invention properly and examine it alone by tests. I suppose Tsukishima used his Book of the End on Mayuri-san back then, as Mayuri-san probably was pretty far away from the shop."

Everyone was quiet, sinking in their own thoughts. No one could possibly know, save for Tsukishima, that a high rank such as a captain of the Gotei 13 would be influenced so easily by him.

Ichigo scowled, realizing something. "Wait, does Karin still come here?"

"She does, but I didn't mean her when I said that your sister came here. Your other sister comes here frequently as well to buy candies. She says that the candies in my shop are very cheap… I was so flattered when I heard that!" Urahara smiled slightly, but everyone could tell he was still terrified by the idea of having Kurotsuchi Mayuri running free around Seiretei.

"Really? I mean, I see her with tons of candies all the time, but I never thought it was from your shop." Ichigo said, surprised of Urahara's answer.

When he realized no one was saying anything he sighed. It wasn't exactly the best question to ask when there's an insane captain of the Gotei 13 with his Zanpakuto on him running wild looking for someone who is currently neither in Soul Society's dimension nor the Human World's.

No one tried to break the silence, each one sinking in his own thoughts. After 15 minutes of complete silence both Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo tried to get some sleep at the meanwhile, as Tensa Zangetsu was pulling his hood over his head and Ichigo was just looking for a spare bed to sleep at. Even though he didn't train Ichigo today, he was tired just as much as he was so he gladly took this opportunity to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>"Well, Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho?" The voice of the person asked gently. "You haven't finished recovering, even though some of your wounds are healed. So, if you'll just come with me quietly-"<p>

"D-Damn you…" Nemu said, still breathing heavily. Her voice was full of hatred, and the woman standing behind her noticed it well.

"My, my… Isn't that a little improper way of calling a captain, Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho?" The person was smiling, but her smile scared even the tough Nemu. She knew that captain was powerful.

"Please accept my apology, Unohana-taicho… But, I must not obey you. I have to find my father." Nemu said emotionless before she started running, faster and faster, without looking back at the captain her father loathed. Unohana was somehow still dressed in her shinigami uniform and her haori, even though the hour was late. From the files Unohana held in one of her hands Nemu automatically knew that she was back from a meeting of the captains and these files' subject are of what the commands the captain commander of the Gotei 13, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, had ordered the captains to do during the first substitute shinigami's invasion with his comrades. Now as the whole Gotei 13 and even some parts of Rukongai knew well about Kugo Ginjo's comrade, Shukuro Tsukishima's Fullbring there wasn't such a thing as being too wary, and Unohana knew it well.

"Well then," Unohana sighed, still not moving. "I suppose you won't come with me back to the infirmary of my Division. There's also another way, but I hoped I won't need to use it… Bakudo #4: Hainawa." [2] Unohana said while raising her free hand that didn't carried her files. Her face looked as if she truly regretted what she just did to the poor fukutaicho who lost her father to an unknown enemy.

Nemu's expression stayed emotionless as a glowing yellow energy rope entangled her arms and body, and she fell to the ground with a loud noise. The things she carried fell away from her reach and were picked carefully by the 4th Division's captain. Even though the level of the sealing spell Unohana casted on Nemu was extremely low, Nemu knew she was guilty for the fact that she couldn't free herself. Unohana was right – She hasn't finished recovering. Even a low-level Bakudo spell can make her crush to the ground.

"Now, would you come with me back to your bed at the infirmary?" Unohana smiled.

* * *

><p>Ginjo sighed. They were at that dimension now for a few days, but it looked as if there was no exit. Yukio, Giriko, Riruka, Jackie and Tsukishima were inside the Fullbring, sleeping. Ginjo refused to get inside, claiming that he's not tired, but all of his comrades knew he was lying, though… He couldn't fool anyone with the bags under his eyes.<p>

"Why the long face, Ginjo?" Tsukishima was a few meters next to him, holding two sandwiches from Yukio's Fullbring and smiling happily. Ginjo had no idea how come any of the Xcution members or Tsukishima had lost their sanity yet, closed like that inside a dimension they may never get out of.

"So, you finally lost it?" Ginjo said casually while taking one of the sandwiches after Tsukishima had offered him. Ginjo was hungry, but he didn't care. He had to think about a way to get out of that dimension. If they won't, they won't be able to get to Soul Society and finally achieve what Ginjo always dreamed to achieve.

"What?" Tsukishima was still smiling, much to Ginjo's dismay. The smile didn't seem to be faked, and Ginjo had no idea how the hell was Tsukishima still happy even after being stuck\ in here.

"Your sanity, idiot… I thought Yukio, as a child, would be the first one to lose it, but it seems like you lost it first. Ah, Too bad. You were indeed a good comrade, Tsukishima."

"Before you'll start burying me in here, I think you should know that I have a reason for smiling… And no, I haven't lost my sanity."

Ginjo smirked. "So what is exactly the reason to make you smile while we were trapped in a completely different dimension because of two little shinigami who disobeyed your Fullbring?"

Tsukishima made an expression that was dangerously close to pouting. "I told you already, it wasn't my Book of the End that caused this. I have no idea how could that happen, Urahara Kisuke is well known for his inventions… After all, he was the founder and 1st president of the Shinigami Research & Development Institute. And, the reason I'm smiling is because… I made us another comrade." He smiled a creepy smile.

"And who this might be?"

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri. He's the captain of the 12th Division in present and also the 2nd president of the Shinigami Research & Development Institute."

Ginjo seemed expressed. "And you didn't even need calling me for help or as a distraction until you'll stab him?"

"I had a better idea than that…" Tsukishima smiled even a bigger smile as he told Ginjo his story, about how could he influence the captain of the 12th division against all odds, adding details he heard from the person that helped him as well.

* * *

><p>Yukio played with his Fullbring innocently, sitting under a tree in the forest out of Karakura town and only a few kilometers from Tsukishima's mansion.<p>

As he was playing and playing like a normal boy, he suddenly opened a portal to his Fullbring and started throwing things inside, as rocks and leaves. After he collected enough items inside he changed the temperature of the area the objects were at in his Fullbring and changed the humidity only to see how the leaves and rocks were reduced to mere ash because of the random conditions it was left at. Looking at the screen of his Invaders Must Die curiously, he took out all the ash of the leaves and the rocks only to see how beautifully it scatters in the wind. He smiled like a little child. He thought about trying such a thing for a few weeks now, but with all the mess of planning and trying to take Kurosaki Ichigo's Fullbring power away from him right after he will get it he never had the opportunity to. Now, Kurosaki Ichigo already had seen Ginjo and talked with him twice – Once after Ginjo… 'Accidently' lost his bag only for Ichigo to bring it back to him and the second one was at the Unagiya shop.

_From the way it seems like now… We will surely win._

_And now, I shall bring our plan into another victory._

_I don't care what Tsukishima thinks – I'LL DO IT BY MYSELF!_

He smiled as he kept playing with his Fullbring for a few more minutes, not noticing one specific scientist standing behind him, holding a few tiny balls in his hand.

"My, my… What a wonderful power you have there." Yukio turned in horror as he saw Kurotsuchi Mayuri standing next to him, his unnatural, golden teeth glowing as he smiled to him. Yukio automatically backed a few meters backwards and tried to get the captain inside his Fullbring, but Mayuri kept smiling a creepy smile to the little child, and then looked at the blocks that came to consume him. "This is so interesting. You will be a fine specimen for my experiments! Hado #4: Byakurai." [3]

Yukio's eyes widened as he noticed where the attack was aimed to. His consuming move of the blocks was about to be destroyed. Yukio closed his eyes and poured inside his Fullbring all of the reiatsu he could gather so quickly. The Byakurai spell was consumed inside his Fullbring. Yukio sighed tiredly in relief and pulled the most convincing victory smile he could do, which wasn't much. He used too much reiatsu, and he knew it. "So, what do you think about that? Your little shinigami magic was consumed by my Fullbring!"

"I'm excited."

"Excuse me?" Yukio was confused by the answer the captain gave him. _Are all the shinigami so weak? That probably was the best spell the poor guy could cast! Hah, and Tsukishima thought I would have problems dealing with a captain!_

"You see, I'm excited because… That means you're more powerful than what I thought you are. Indeed, you would be so interesting to examine… So, if you should come with me quietly I will even let you live for a few days before I'll kill you and examine even more deeply your dead body… Using no reiryoku-based powers as the Quincy's but still a human, called… Ah, 'Fullbring'. And I thought I've seen everything possible."

"Ha! It's not going to happen!" Yukio smirked and raised his Fullbring, ready to command it at the moment he'll need to.

"Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" Mayuri smiled his crazed smile again while unsheathing his Zanpakuto.

Suddenly, his sword flew and twirled in the air. If Yukio wasn't full of himself after canceling the first time he casted a Hado spell he would be amazed by how impossible that looked like. "Hado #58: Tenran!" [4] Mayuri held the blade that stopped twirling around and said quietly, but in a very happy voice. The blocks of Yukio's Invaders Must Die flew immediately away before it disappeared to the air.

"I'm shocked. How couldn't you block this one?" Mayuri teased him, his golden teeth visible once again.

"S-Shut up…" Yukio struggled to stand on his feet. The explosion of Mayuri's Tenran had reached him, even though he was pretty far away because he backed up at the moment he saw him.

"I shall be kind. I'll give you exactly a week of living freely inside the labs, and then I shall dissect you!"

"P-Please… Please don't!" Yukio said in a weak voice.

_I was a fool. I shouldn't have ignoring Tsukishima's warning._

"Rip…!" He cried excited.

"I won't let you!" Yukio yelled, summoning the blocks once again to consume Mayuri.

"Foolish boy! I need that body and game console at the best conditions possible!" Mayuri was yelling. "Bakudo #9: Geki!" [5]

Yukio was engulfed in red light, sweating as he noticed his body was completely paralyzed by the sealing spell Mayuri casted. The blocks once again disappeared.

Exactly when Mayuri was about to attack the paralyzed Yukio with his released Zanpakuto, Mayuri felt a feeling that was as if a sword was stabbing him. Mayuri didn't have the time to turn around to even look at his attacker's face – Before he knew it; He was lying on the grass next to the tree Yukio was sitting under before he was interrupted by Mayuri.

"Who the hell…. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm an old friend of yours, Shukuro Tsukishima… Can't you remember, old friend?"

Mayuri's golden eyes widened as if he suddenly recognized him. "Oh, that's right… How could I forget you?"

Tsukishima smiled to him a kind, friendly smile. "That's fine. Will you release the Kido you casted over the boy for me?"

"Sure." He released it automatically.

"T-Tsukishima… You came even though I told you it will be fine?" Yukio was confused by the sudden appearance of his comrade.

"Of course I will. I knew you would lose, so I was prepared to strike at any moment." Tsukishima smiled. "Come, I will make Mayuri forget about that little conversation we all had as we will get far enough from him – We shall go to the mansion for now."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] This is a reference to chapters 427&amp;428 – two kids were playing baseball next to the Urahara Shop as one of them decided to try "Jinta Home Run". Jinta hurts him and tells him not to copy his move. Tessai hits Jinta in the head and get him to the store as he threw the ball on a boy without a glove on his hand. When he regains his consciousness Tessai restrains him while Ururu tickles him with her hair, as they tell him to be quiet because Karin is in the shop, talking to Urahara.<strong>

**[2] Hainawa – Crawling Rope in English… I think the best fight to remember this Kido from is Rukia vs. Aaroniero.**

**[3] Byakurai – Pale Lightning in English… The best fight to remember it from is the rematch of Ichigo vs. Byakuya, when Byakuya shoots Ichigo in the shoulder with a blue lightning bolt. Ah, such an awesome fight.**

**[4] Tenran – Orchid Sky in English… Actually, the only person to ever use it (Anime doesn't count) was Kira, that used it as he fought against Abirama Redder. Soooo… Go to read / watch that fight if you want to see it firsthand. It looks like some kind of a whirlpool made of air and air only.**

**[5] Geki – Strike in English. The only fight it was introduced at was against the Grand Fisher, soooo… go to read / watch the fight to see how Rukia used the Hado spell.**

**So that's it for this chapter... Sorry I barely used Tensa Zangetsu - Obviously, it WILL change in the chapters after this one. This chapter was especially of side stories instead of the base one, so that's how it is right now.**

**Please, please review! This time, let's aim for 45 reviews this time, or more if you'll feel generous and in a good mood! (:**

**Ah, if peoples won't review my self-claimed writer's block will get bigger! And neither of us wants that, right? So be nice and review! Or I shall send Tsukishima after you and will use Yukio as a distraction to keep your minds busy looking at him! :D**


	9. Needless Emotions

**Sorry for the (very) late update. The Writers' Block I've discovered in the last chapter apparently was just at its beginning, so I tried the hardest I could to write another chapter. But don't you worry – I haven't given up on this fanfic. It's waaaayyy too interesting.**

**Also, I'm sorry for your useless emails - I had a few problems uploading this chapter but I don't think it'll happen again.**

**I want to thank every person that either favorite this fanfic, alerted or reviewed, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well (And review it, it doesn't take more than 5 seconds and I'm sure that the authors here at this website can understand how nice it is to get a review or a favorite for your creation!)**

**Warnings & Info:**

_Italic font = Thoughts. Not only Ichigo's thoughts but of the person the story focuses on in that specific moment._

_**When Tensa Zangetsu ever communicates mentally with Ichigo it would be signed as bold mixed with italic font.**_

** Spoilers are up to chapter 462 with a different ending of 459, be careful not to be spoiled! **

**This isn't a yaoi story; nothing happens between Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo and also nothing will happen in the future. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Tite Kubo.**

**If it did belong to me, candy would be falling from the sky at Soul Society and at Rukongai so Yachiru will stop eating the poor fish at the Kuchiki manor and eat it instead. Poor fish and poor Byakuya to suffer such an abuse from a little girl… that has the mind of an 8-years-old. (…With the power of some of the vice-captains combined.)**

* * *

><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 9: (Needless Emotions)**

Tensa Zangetsu looked outside from the window inside one of the many rooms in the Urahara Shop, his hood pulled over his face. It was raining, and even though it was raining, the people outside in the streets seemed to either ignore it, not paying attention and some using an umbrella to block the rain, but he knew better. He hated it. Rain was terrible, either in Ichigo's inner world or out of it. The sight of the little children that played in the rain and laughed as the drops fell down was something he couldn't comprehend. Rain isn't enjoyable, no matter how you look at it.

_How could they be so happy in the rain? It's terrible, and sad… Certainly, rain wasn't something to enjoy from. So how is this possible? _

Suddenly, he heard quiet footsteps behind him. While drawing quickly his sword and pointing it to the neck of the person that came into the room he noticed who he was, and dematerialized his black sword immediately.

"Ichigo."

"Is everything okay? You've been here for hours…" Ichigo asked. He was holding a cup of tea in his hand.

Tensa Zangetsu didn't answer him.

"Is that because of what you've told me before?" Ichigo asked once again.

"So you _did _listen, back then…" [1] He mused quietly, seems to be relieved. "No, I'm fine. It's nothing." He said before continuing to look out of the window. Ichigo left after looking at him for a few more moments. The rain kept falling outside as Tensa Zangetsu sighed.

* * *

><p>"Did all of you bring back your files? We shall now begin the second emergency meeting of the captains!" Yamamoto yelled loudly.<p>

"What? How come I haven't heard about those emergency meetings before?" Ukitake asked, before remembering something. "Oh no…! Is it has something to do with Kuchiki, or with Abarai-fukutaicho? Is one of them hurt?"

"Both Rukia and Renji are currently at the Urahara Shop. As far as we know, neither of them are injured, Ukitake-san." Byakuya answered him with his normal, cold voice.

"That's good…" Ukitake sighed in relief. "So, what is this emergency meeting about?" He asked.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri was influenced by an ally of the first substitute shinigami, Kugo Ginjo to think that all of them are his allies." Unohana answered while looking at Ukitake's terrified face. "Because you were sick we assumed stressing you would be horrible for your health and decided to tell you when you'll be back to normal." She said, now turning her head to Yamamoto. "Captain-commander Yamamoto, I have something to say about that."

"Yes?"

"I talked to the lieutenant of Kurotsuchi a few days ago. It seems like Kurotsuchi left the Urahara Shop after he got there, and his lieutenant stayed alone to write lists with information about my inventions for the 12th Division's labs at the basement of the Urahara Shop."

"And I suppose Tsukishima Shukuro attacked the captain while he was alone?"

"I cannot be sure. His lieutenant wasn't with him for about an hour or even two; it is highly possible that he could've been attacked back then."

"I see." Yamamoto opened one of his eyes. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri shall be captured, if that's so. Sui-Feng [2], did the Onmitsukido begin looking for Kurotsuchi like you said it will?"

"Yes, they did. But, so far they haven't found him or any clue for his location. After asking his lieutenant for any clue of his location she said that her captain wouldn't be so easy to find." She answered quietly. Sui-Feng was actually pretty worried inside; it wasn't like the Onmitsukido not being able to find someone, even though it should be kept in mind that Kurotsuchi Mayuri was a master of disguise and Kido.

"All the other divisions shall aid the Onmitsukido in all ways possible!" Yamamoto said loudly, opening both of his red eyes wide open. "We must bring Kurotsuchi Mayuri immediately to a proper prison until all of the influences of Tsukishima Shukuro's power will disappear!"

* * *

><p>Mayuri was using both Shunpo and running between the flash steps while looking back from a time to time, much unlike what his daughter, Nemu, did a few days ago. He knew he must be careful, as he didn't know who else would think Tsukishima is evil. Even though he was running, he had no idea <em>where. <em>He just kept running, hoping that while he's running away he will know what to do. His friend, his ally, the man he owes his life to, Tsukishima Shukuro, was nowhere to be seen. Mayuri couldn't even sense his reiatsu, which lead him to the thought he's either completely masking his reiatsu or not in Seiretei.

"He must be somewhere around him, look for him! The sensors said he's in this area!" Mayuri almost jumped as he heard a voice speaking.

_The Onmitsukido…? They came so quickly?_

He blended into the wall to let them pass through. He was almost sure that one of them seemed to notice him, but he said nothing to the rest of his unit. It seemed like, as for now, Mayuri was safe. Now, he could keep looking for Tsukishima peacefully and think of a good plan.

* * *

><p>Ichigo was lying on the ground in the training ground, looking at the painted sky Urahara drew back when Ichigo was training before he went to rescue Rukia. He felt completely horrible with himself, but tried to hide it from everyone all that time, and he wouldn't even admit he felt guilty either.<p>

It was his entire fault. He knew it, but could do nothing to fix it. All that time he tried not to stand out when they spoke about the upcoming events, and there were many conversations of this kind in the last couple of days. Urahara already finished the tubes and he began testing them, which didn't go like he wanted to.

At first, there was a problem at the reiatsu control, after he had discovered that relying too much over Quincy Ginto wasn't the best choice of material to check – Apparently, the Quincy's way of using reiatsu was different than the normal way of using it, which caused everyone except for Ishida problems of understanding the proper way of using it, that made some of the tubes blow up while Urahara and Ishida smiled sheepishly from the side.

"Ah… I hate myself." Ichigo said while sighing.

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

Ichigo seemed not to hear or see the young man that came down the ladder a few moments ago.

"My life sucks."

"I agree, but it won't change any time soon if you'll keep thinking gloomy thoughts and stay here alone." He chuckled, looking at the sleeping Renji snoring a few meters from Ichigo. "Well, not completely alone."

"I want to kill myself." Ichigo still didn't hear him.

"I can help with that."

Ichigo raised his head, hearing only the last sentence. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

He shrugged. "I was bored."

"You know, it's kind of weird."

"What?"

"I thought that at the moment you'll see me you'll start smashing my head against random walls of buildings for using the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho after all, but here you are… I think I've never seen you that calm."

He chuckled once again. "Smashing your head against random walls of buildings, as you say, won't help you get your powers fully back. Right now, this is my only goal."

"My powers are back."

"What makes you be so confident about that?"

"I succeeded breaking Rukia's fully chanted #61 Bakudo a week-and-a-half ago. I can't believe it was just a fluke."

"It is the exact opposite."

"How is that possible? It shows that I have all of my reiatsu back!"

"Again, it's the exact opposite. All you did was wasting the bits of reiatsu that already accumulated. You made the time that will take for you getting your powers back only longer. But, at least, some more reiatsu accumulated even in a faster rate in the last couple of days." He said expressionless while looking up the ladder leading to the shop. "It seems like more peoples are coming over here."

* * *

><p>"So… What are we doing now?" Once again they were all gathered, except for Urahara. "Waiting isn't a possibility. Not when we must face such an enemy as them." Ichigo said.<p>

"Looking for allies and training can be good." Rukia said.

"A-A-Allies? Don't be a fool, Rukia…" Renji yawned from the corner. "Who exactly can we recruit as an ally over here?"

"Get back to sleep, Renji. You were awake for a few days now without getting any sleep, watching more than you needed in the turns."

Ichigo was surprised, but didn't say a thing. He knew that everyone needed to take turns, watching that neither Mayuri or somehow one of Xcution's members will come after them.

"I slept until just a minute ago! Damn it, I'm not a baby Rukia! Leave me alone, I'm perfectly fine!"

"Go to sleep." Renji froze. She smiled right now just like Unohana.

"You took lessons from Unohana about smiling?" Ichigo asked sweatdropping.

"No." She said.

"Uh… Okay… There are lots of powerful peoples in Karakura Town, Renji." Ichigo said after a moment of silent.

"I know that, idiot. I just ask who will help."

"We can always ask the Visored. [3]" He said quietly.

"Who are the Visoreds?" Rukia asked confused.

"Oh, that's right… You weren't present at the battle in Fake Karakura Town. Rukia, if you remember, those were the peoples I've been training with… Well, when Grimmjow came with some other Arrancars here." Ichigo said. "Though, they may disagree helping us, as they aren't allies or enemies of Soul Society." He quickly added after thinking a moment.

Of course Rukia remembered. Ichigo left his sisters and his father in the dark only to train for mastering his inner hollow. He left everyone, including her, without saying anything. Even though she was mad at him back then, she knew it was important for him to do that. Only that way he could have a chance saving Inoue from Hueco Mundo after she was kidnapped by one of the Arrancars in Aizen's army.

"Well, Kurosaki-san, you'll just have to go there for asking." Urahara said happily, going down the ladder leading to the training ground.

"Hey, Urahara-san… It's been something like one and a half years since the last time I saw them… Are they at the same place as they used to be at?" Ichigo said.

"It's been a while since I visited them as well, so I do not know. Anyway, they would ask me for help if they were building a new house for them to build them a training ground, so I suppose they're still in the old, same warehouse." Urahara answered Ichigo after thinking a few moments.

"Hmm… Let's go, then."

"You'll have to go without me, though. The Gotei 13 asked me to make a very long report about all the ways possible to make Mayuri-san go back to normal."

"I already sent to the Gotei 13 one a couple of days ago!" Rukia said, surprised.

"Apparently, they want one with the items they need to prepare in order to return Mayuri-san and any other shinigami who might be influenced back to normal."

"Oh… I didn't think of that." Rukia said, pretty ashamed of her reaction. "Okay Ichigo, let's go."

* * *

><p>Moe was in the street, punching random things with his fullbring whenever he felt like it. He wasn't bothered about Ginjo and the others in his group, Xcution that left him alone; he knew better than him. He knew better than all of them. Tsukishima left him a single task to complete, and he did it, fulfilling his job helping him in his brilliant plan. They will not fail. After all, as far as he knew, Tsukishima, Ginjo and the rest of Ginjo's allies are probably in Soul Society already, messing around with the annoying people called 'Shinigami'.<p>

He whistled a happy tone of a song he heard in the radio this morning as he walked slowly but proudly in the streets of Karakura Town. Tsukishima will be so proud of him when he'll find out that he had succeeded… Finally, he'll know that Moe Shishigawara, his underling and comrade, could help him.

And Moe just did the first step to be recognized as one by him.

"Eh, Kurosaki-kun…!" Moe heard a familiar voice saying. While hiding behind a bush, he understood who's the voice belonged to – that chick Tsukishima ordered him to kill, that ended up protecting him. _This can't end well. _He thought while backing slowly so they won't notice him. "That's odd. How come Hacchi-san's barrier isn't on?" Orihime asked.

"You're right! What the hell? That's really odd." Ichigo said before getting even closer to the bush Moe was hiding behind. "It isn't like him… I saw how good he is using Kido. Why would he cancel the barrier around their warehouse?"

"I don't know…" She said.

"I mean, of course that Aizen is now in prison and I guess Soul Society isn't after them anymore… But completely canceling it? I have a really bad feeling about it…" He said.

They passed Moe, and he sighed relieved. It seems like they haven't found him hiding. After they had disappeared from his view, he started using Bringer Light to back off as fast as possible, heading to Xcution's headquarters.

* * *

><p>Ginjo just finished eating a decent cake from Yukio's fullbring, but he had to sigh. Looking at the happy face of Tsukishima, he guessed that using Kurotsuchi Mayuri wasn't the last thing in Tsukishima's mind. Tsukishima had, once again, a stupid smile on his face. He was like that for half-an-hour and didn't seem to get any tired smiling like an idiot.<p>

"Okay, I give up. What the hell are you so happy about now?"

"It seems like Shishigawara-kun isn't a total idiot."

"Eh, you forgot to remind me to kill him!" [4]

"I needed him for my own plans. Not killing him was necessary back then. But, now that he did what I asked him to do, I don't think there would be any problems for you to kill him once we'll see him again." Tsukishima said, still grinning.

Ginjo began to like than grin on Tsukishima's face.

* * *

><p>They were about to get inside the warehouse, when Ichigo suddenly stopped, a terrified expression on his face. "Their reiatsu… I can't sense it."<p>

Renji smirked. "What else is new?" He said mocking Ichigo, but after a moment of trying on his own he couldn't sense any reiatsu inside the old warehouse as well. "Are you sure those 'Visoreds' you were talking about are inside this old warehouse?"

"You heard Urahara-san – They haven't asked him for help creating a new training ground for them. There's little to none chances they had moved." Ichigo said.

"We should better run inside instead of standing here." Rukia pointed out.

"Oh, right." Ichigo said as they began to run inside.

* * *

><p>When they had approached the training ground, a terrifying vision appeared. The Visoreds were still there, only that they lied on the ground and they were bleeding heavily. They were all unconscious.<p>

"What the hell happened in here?" Ichigo cried, completely shocked by the way the Visoreds looked like.

"I-Ichigo… They seems like they're about to die." Rukia said, tears almost flowing from her eyes after looking in such a horrible incident.

"I don't think they're dead." Ichigo said quietly, and then got closer to Hirako Shinji, and then to Yadomaru Lisa, who was next to him on the ground. "They're still breathing, even though just barely. Inoue… Can you try to heal them?"

"I'll try…" She said before summoning her Shun Shun Rikka.

"Some of us should go look after whose responsible doing it." Renji suggested.

"I agree. But we have no idea who could do such a thing!" Ichigo said frustrated. "It can be anyone!"

"Anyway, going to look after a high reiatsu around would be pretty good idea." Rukia said. "Who'll come with me? I'm in."

"I'll go." Ishida and Renji said one after the other.

Ichigo would've suggest his help, but the words Tensa Zangetsu told him kept bothering him in his mind… He won't be able to help them. At least staying here and helping Inoue won't make him feel completely useless.

Rukia, Renji and Ishida were about to leave the store when suddenly they all heard a weak voice.

"B-Berry-tan…?" Mashiro's weak voice was heard behind him. Ichigo turned. "Mashiro… Who did it?"

"I-It was… It was…" She began to say weakly with tears flowing from her eyes. All she could do before fainting was saying slowly with a painful expression on her face a single name. "K-Ken…Kensei."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Tensa Zangetsu referencing to the monologue of Zangetsu in chapter 112 of Bleach, named "The Undead [Rise&amp;Craze]". (I mean, Zangetsu's monologue of the reason why he hates the rain.)<strong>

**[2] Sui-Feng = Soifon. I decided to go with the official pinyin translation.**

**[3] Visoreds- I'll go with the official translation, and won't use the other option. Sorry if some of you will confuse… but it's the same group of people.**

**[4] In chapter 3 of my fanfic, before Ginjo and Tsukishima were released from the hospital, Ginjo told Tsukishima to remind him to kill Moe in the moment they'll see him. (Go read all the other chapters if you don't remember. I might use some other material from earlier chapters and it's important to remember when I wrote what.)**

**So… it's been a while since I did a good cliffhanger. (It's my first time doing one from that kind, though.) Hope you won't mind… It was very important to the plot. (No, there won't be any romance in this fanfic. I didn't mean that this way nor never will.)**

**I'll say it again - Please review with your opinions of this chapter and this fanfic… It feels really nice when someone, somewhere decided to review a poor author that suffers from Writers' Block.**


	10. The Slashing Opera

**Hello there. I know it was a while since I published another chapter (I thank those who reviewed to ask for more, and I would be glad if they will comment for this chapter as well to say what they thought about it), and I could give whatsoever excuses for not publishing for about two months, but I don't want to. Or, more correctly, I can't. I won't even blame it on my Writer's Block, because if someone looked at my profile he could see that I tried many other ideas of mine in the meanwhile, but none of them really succeeded. Ah well, I suppose that I'm not the type for humoristic/poetic fanfics. I'll try again when I'll have more experience. You are free to review & read all of my other fanfics, though. Most of them are kind of connected to this fanfic, but from different spots.**

**Ah, and I FINALLY made myself a DeviantART account, so add me! My username there is Natsuzora-chan. (Very original, I know.) I thought about doing chapter reviews of Bleach every week in the journal, (and maybe even reviews for Bakuman as well if everything will go right and I'll have followers) , so add me to your watch list there if you have a DA account! **

**I also added the option to anonymously review my fanfics, so even if you don't have a FanFiction account you can still review my chapters! Just please don't flame.**

**So, without any other delays (Except for the spoilers & disclaimer), enjoy the new chapter!**

**Spoilers: Up to chapter 462. Eh, I just noticed the spoiler level might go up a little bit on the way. It it won't be of really, really recent chapters, but just to let you know I tell you that. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

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><p><strong>The Black Moon Rising<strong>

**Chapter 10: The Slashing Opera**

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><p>"K-Kensei…" Mashiro mumbled with tears before closing her eyes.<p>

"Oi, Mashiro! Oi, are you sure about that?" Ichigo cried loudly after turning her and gently shaking her to try to awake her, but after a few moments she didn't reacted Ichigo thought about something and then looked around him. Kensei was nowhere to be seen. He probably ran away after doing such a horrible thing to his comrades. He had no idea how he couldn't notice such an obvious thing before, how he was so blind and didn't notice that a single member of the Visored isn't there. Actually, he didn't speak so frequently to him when he was training with the Visored, but he respected him like he did with all the others. He knew that he could trust them as comrades if he ever needed help. _Why would he do such a thing?_ He couldn't stop himself but to ask.

Ichigo never was afraid of the Visored. He didn't know, back then when Shinji joined his class, what was their strength, but he knew they would never try to hurt him. He was _one of them._ After so many years of loneliness that they thought no one would ever understand, he was there. And even though at the beginning he refused to talk about it or admit it, they helped him a lot back then.

_I got to tell Rukia and the others before it's too late! They don't know who to chase after! _Ichigo suddenly thought, and then started running, ignoring the questioning looks.

"Rukia! Ishida! Renji! You guys haven't left yet, right?" He yelled while running outside from the warehouse.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Rukia asked nervous after noticing him. The three of them were about to leave when they noticed him running and yelling.

"T-The guy who did all of this…" He breathed heavily, trying to get a grip over himself. "…H-His name is K-Kensei Muguruma." Telling them how he looked like and the little he knew about him and his history, Ichigo clearly looked in distress, sweating and mumbling every few words without even noticing. Rukia, Renji and Ishida were all with their weapons gripped harshly in their hands, but they clearly seemed like they're about to drop them every second from shock.

"K-Kurosaki…" Ishida said; his voice shakes while doing so. "How could one of them do such a thing to his comrades? Did they have some sort of a disagreement or something?"

"Not that I know. I haven't seen them for more than a year." Ichigo shrugged. "But I don't think this is it. I saw how they seemed to get along when I was training with them before Inoue was kidnapped."

"Don't you think…?" Renji began, but couldn't find the words to end his sentence.

Ichigo nodded weakly. "There isn't any other option. But how can it be possible? Tsukishima isn't here. He has no way to use his Fullbring here. You've heard Urahara; He's somewhere off in an alternate universe locked up because of getting into Urahara's gate before it's stabilized."

The area near the warehouse was quiet for a few moments, except of the amused ants that suddenly discovered the new warehouse they'd never noticed before [1]. No one wanted to break the silence first, nor had any reason to. Ichigo said everything they could say.

"W-Well, we should better get going now." Rukia broke the silence first. "Why won't you come with us?"

Ichigo raised his head with an expression that combined both surprise and depression. He waved with his hands to express what he was about to say. "N-No… Take care of it yourself, it's okay… I don't mind… I should go to help Inoue with the injured." He laughed a fake laughter to hide his feelings, but he knew he wasn't fooling anyone. He just wanted to make them feel as if his mood was bad because of the weather or something.

They didn't ask him any other questions, or why he couldn't come. Without looking back even once, they started walking away.

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><p>"Eh, Kurosaki-kun! Over here!" Inoue waved to Ichigo while using her Soten Kisshun to heal Lisa. She sat on the sand, not bothered by the fact that Rukia, Renji and Ishida left.<p>

"Hey Inoue. Is there something I can do?" He smiled while asking, sitting down next to her and looking at what she was doing.

"It's so nice of you to ask that! If you want, you can go bring some wet towels." She suggested without taking her eyes off Lisa. She had a sad smile on her face.

"Not necessary." A voice came behind them and scared them both. "I already brought some."

"Thanks." She took them from his hands and began using them on some of the Visoreds. Most of them were groaning from heat, and Ichigo chose not to look at them directly. It was still too hard for him to see the strong Visoreds so weak.

"Oh, that's right! I need to go make a soup for them after they'll wake up!" Orihime smiled. "I should better go to my house and-"

"M-Maybe… there's another option?" Ichigo asked gently. He wasn't so sure if the soup won't just make the Visored feel worse. "You know, if they'd developed a fever a medicine would work just as well as soup, and even better."

She smiled. "That can be a great idea, Kurosaki-kun!" She thought for a second, wondering what would be the best medicine. She told him the name of it, and where he can find it. It was a shop that was a few meters from his house. He doubted he'd have problems to find it and bring back the medicine Orihime requested.

"That's great!" Ichigo smiled, once again a fake one. "I'll go there and return as fast as I can, Inoue."

"May I go with you, then, Ichigo?" He smiled also, but Ichigo could say it was an emotionless smile. He didn't understand why did he choose to come with him, but he knew it would lead to no good.

"Why won't you help Inoue in the meanwhile? I'll return in a few minutes." Ichigo said, insisting on making him understand he doesn't wish to speak to anyone right now.

"Oh, no, I insist! Even if it would be for a few minutes, I don't mind." He smiled.

"Well, then." Ichigo surrendered.

Following him outside, both of them let their fake smile vanish.

"You're suffering. You're not hiding it from anyone."  
>"Don't speak nonsense." Ichigo glared at him.<p>

He raised his blue eyes, and looked at him. "Two sentences ruined your self confidence completely like that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Don't make me say the same thing twice." He looked aside, trying to escape the blue, lightless eyes that felt like daggers in the back of his head.

"And I'm telling you you're not fooling anyone."  
>He didn't answer him.<p>

"Since when did such things stop you?" He asked, not willing to finish the conversation like Ichigo.

He still didn't answer him, as he clearly had anything to say. Or, in other words, wanted to hear more.

"Ah, sometimes I can't understand you. And that was supposed to be impossible." He chuckled.

"So you lied, back then?" His body shook as he spoke once again after ten minutes he couldn't speak. He didn't know what to think.

"No. But, again, since when did such things stop you?" He smiled. "In Soul Society, for instance, you dashed to kill Aizen Sosuke even though you saw how all the captains were defeated one by one. In Hueco Mundo, in the second you heard Ulquiorra Cifer talking about how he was the one to kidnap Inoue Orihime, you marched to kill him, even though you knew you won't be able to hold against him long enough to defeat him. What makes this situation any different? Why didn't you run and lead the rest of the people that was willing to go and help you to defeat the one who did it to the Visored, who are now lying all around the training ground, bleeding and defeated?"

Ichigo didn't say anything, as he turned his back to Tensa Zangetsu and walked to find Renji, Rukia and Ishida.

When he returned alone to the training ground, Orihime raised her head. "Eh, where did Kurosaki-kun go?"

"He went to save the day," He chuckled once again, and gave her the medicines he bought after Ichigo left.

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><p>Meanwhile, Ishida, Renji and Rukia were still looking for that Kensei dude Ichigo mentioned. They all thought looking for a young man with white hair would be relatively easy, but they'd discovered that it wasn't so. And for that, they sighed. <em>We've been looking for him everywhere,<em> Ishida realized, _and he's nowhere._

They were at one of the empty streets of Karakura-Town, near the old hospital that he went to a few years ago to watch Don Kanonji's show in Karakura-Town [2] when he suddenly noticed a white flash behind them.

"Watch out!" He yelled while shooting some of his blue arrows at the flash. Rukia and Renji backed before releasing their Zanpakuto's Shikai mode quickly. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia said loudly, pointing her sword at the flash. "Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji didn't hesitate and launched his attack. The flash disappeared, and appeared above them, smiling. "Hehehe… You're one of Tsukishima-san's friends?" He asked, laughing from a joke they did not understand. _Yes, _Rukia realized bitterly, _He's just like how Ichigo described him. He couldn't be more wrong. _

"Your name is Kensei Muguruma?" Ishida appeared next to the flash, but in a distance of a few meters away – ready to back as soon as he is attacked by the white-haired man.

"Yes… And you are friends of Tsukishima-san, I guess?" He kept smiling at them. He looked as if he was on the edge of insanity, and neither of them liked the idea of fighting an insane Visored. _He's really interested in whose side are we on, huh? _Renji noticed.

"Uh… I'm sorry, Muguruma-san, but we are not affiliated with him." Rukia said, lowering her head. "Will you follow us for a moment?"

"Huh?" He blinked. "What a silly, silly idea." He started giggling. "Tsukishima-san is the best! How can someone not be with him?"

"Apparently, we are not." Ishida said coldly. _What the hell did Tsukishima do to him? From the way Ichigo described him it seemed like he was far different than the way he is now. Did he lose his san_ity?

"Oh? That's too bad…" He said and laughed. "You see…" He pulled out a little knife as he spoke. It had a bronze guard, light purple hilt-wrapping in the center of the hilt, a gray leather grip, and a small ring on the guard's blunt side. If Kensei wasn't about to kill them, Rukia had no doubt she would stop for a moment to enjoy the elegant combat dagger that was probably his Zanpakuto. "Tsukishima-san doesn't extremely like his enemies." He burst out another wild laughter. "And he thinks they should be destroyed before they destroy some of his allies. You see, Tsukishima-san is a nice person, so I guess he wouldn't mind if…" He jumped below Ishida, Rukia and Renji, and flash-stepped around to confuse them, slashing with his dagger. "I'll kill some of his enemies to show my loyalty." He laughed again. Rukia, Renji and Ishida barely dodged his attacks.

"D-Don't speak nonsense!" Rukia said, aiming an attack to his head.

He blew it away with wind whirlpools that his dagger somehow seemed to create. _W-What would we do? _Rukia realized. _Renji's attacks, at least in his Shikai mode, will also be neglected by his dagger's attacks! _

"R-Renji!" She began to say, but he ignored her. "Howl, Zabimaru!" He launched an attack quickly, attacking him from above for an advantage. "No! Please, stop!" She cried. "He'll-" But she never could finish her sentence. Renji's attack was blocked, and the air blades tore the Zanpakuto from his bare hands with no difficulties, and then turned to hit the skin on his hands. Renji was blown away for a few meters' distance, crying in surprise.

"Are you okay?" Ishida, that Renji was blown close to him, hurried up to him and asked, Rukia not far behind him. "Y-Yes, I'm fine…" He said, but it was clear he wasn't. His left hand was full of bruises and cuts. "No you're not, idiot!" Rukia yelled. "You're bleeding!"

"I-I'm fine, I told you so!" He hurried to stand, but then flinched and fell from the air they were all standing on, but suddenly a glowing, blue platform was beneath him, taking him up to where Ishida and Rukia were. "S-Stop it." Ishida said, shaking. He never tried to use his Hirenkyaku to lift others, and it clearly didn't affect him well. "Just stay here." Rukia said. "And try to heal yourself with whatever Kido skills you have." She mocked him smiling.

"Found the best time to mock, eh?" Renji said, chuckling bitterly. He lied on the ground, green light flowing from his hand to heal his wounds. Both Ishida and Rukia noticed even his reiatsu wasn't at its best – the green light flashed slightly and wasn't consecutive, but they all agreed silently without saying a single word that it was better than nothing. Once Renji'd healed himself a little bit he will join them and their battle against Muguruma.

"Come, Kuchiki. He doesn't wait for us." Ishida said after noticing that Muguruma was losing his patience while they spoke among them, but he didn't make a single move to have an easy win – it seemed like he had some respect to the people he fought against. Tsukishima hadn't taken everything from him, and some of his sanity was still intact. She followed him quietly, and then started attacking with Ishida from different sides to confuse Kensei, but they couldn't. Ichigo said that he had heard that he has plenty of battle experience, but that was just an insane amount of power. Ichigo also noted the way he fought in the winter war, but the way he behaved fighting against them surpassed captains' level.

Ishida suddenly signaled Rukia to come closer, and whispered something in her ear. She smiled. That was a good idea.

"So, it's two against one? That's not so fair…" He laughed once again. "But it's better than three against one." He drew his blades, ready to launch another attack. "And you'll die either way, so I guess it doesn't matter." He flew above them. "So…" A malicious light flashed in his brown eyes. "Prepare yourself for your own death." And with these words, he launched another attack. Rukia looked at Ishida and he nodded in agreement.

Suddenly they split up and began running to different directions. "Heh, not gonna work." Kensei yelled before forming a big, blue ball [3] in his hands from his dagger, and aimed it to Rukia. To hurt Ishida at the same time, he kicked him in his shoulder. Unfortunately, it was Ishida's hand that he used to launch his arrows with. Both of them flew back a few meters in the air, but still were able to keep going. They cursed. At first, they didn't believe Kensei was truly the one to hurt everyone, and they guessed someone helped him or something like that. But after a few times of suffering his attack they understood. They understood everything. He was quick. He was strong. And he specialized in Hakuda. Taking everyone by surprise could probably make him get the upper hand easily.

Ishida shot a few more arrows before deciding it won't lead him anywhere. He decided to use Licht Regen and hope that Rukia would be able to attack Kensei in the meanwhile. They had basically nothing to hope for. They hoped a miracle, but neither of them would admit it.

Just as Ishida expected, Rukia indeed tried to attack. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" She cried. A circle formed under Kensei's legs. He quickly backed from it, jumping higher. "Useless effort…!" She yelled, trying to overcome the noise of Ishida's arrows being shot to Kensei's direction. He was surrounded by ice in no time. But instead of begging for mercy or staying frozen, he smirked. Yes, he simply smirked. And then he decided to show both of them why. Blue light filled the ice pillar and blew it to pieces, but Kensei wasn't shattered with it. He was laughing and forming more and more air blades, trying to hit Ishida and Rukia quickly with most of them. Renji fainted in the meanwhile – he lost more reiatsu than what he thought he would, but he was fully healed. Rukia and Ishida were praying he would wake up in time to save them. But he didn't. Both of them were still in the air, but on their knees. The air blades were approaching closer and closer… They were about to hit them, and Rukia knew that in the moment that would happen they would be dead.

But the air blades never reached their destination. Rukia closed her eyes. Ishida struggled to stand, but failed.

The blades were blocked by a single black sword. Kensei cursed.

The sword's owner wiped a sweat from his forehead and smiled. "I'm glad I got here on time." He said to Rukia and Ishida.

"I-Ichigo!" Rukia cried in surprise.

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><p><strong>[1] – I really liked a sentence Inoue said in page 1 of chapter 225:"A cat… Even on that wide space… It's walking straight as if there's a tight-rope on the ground… That bird too… Other creatures too. They won't go near… No… It's because they can't go near it. 'Cause of this massive barrier." And a picture of ants on the floor, among other pictures, is shown while she thought that. I thought that combining it in the story can be nice.<strong>

**[2] – A couple of months ago I read one of Kubo's interviews where he answered a question about who did Ichigo pushed aside when he went to save the earth-bound hollow from Don Kanonji in pages 4-5 of chapter 29 in Bleach, and it turned out to be actually Ishida. I thought it was pretty interesting, because Kubo also said in another interview that Ishida is actually a pretty big fan of Don Kanonji. **

**[3] – The big, blue ball is one of Kensei's attacks – Bakudantsuki, or, Bomb Strike/Thrust (By Bleach Wiki's translation). It is probably remembered well because of the short battle against the hollowified Ichigo in his Visored training. Kensei used it back there.**

**So this is the end of this chapter, guys. Wait for the next one, please! Sorry it took me so long. You have no idea how depressed I was to see how stuck I was. But I went through a pretty big obstacle in the plot in the last few chapters, and I would lie if I say that the next chapter would be a piece of cake. But I doubt it would take me another two months until the next chapter. Actually, if it wasn't for the great reviews I've received I would be still stuck. Thanks!**

**By the way, if someone wondered why the hell I used Kensei – (It's NOT because I hate him anyway – His voice actor is Gintoki! I just realized it after looking at what other roles his seiyuu did!) It's only because he's actually the only one that his limits of power are known. All the Visoreds (Excluding Ichigo) but him either showed only their Shikai but didn't use its special attack or they showed their Shikai and used its special attack but had a Bankai but didn't release it or that they showed it but never used it, or (Mashiro & Hachi's case) their Shikai was never shown (released, in the Manga Hachi's sealed Zanpakuto was shown and so was Mashiro's). Correct me if I'm wrong, though.**


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